Melanson v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

43 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 43 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Every claim cognizable against the Commonwealth ... shall be forever barred unless the claimant or his agent, attorney or representative has filed a written statement of the nature of the claim, which includes the time and place at which the injury is alleged to have occurred and the agency or agencies alleged to be liable, * within one year after such cause of action accrued.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Phelan v. Commonwealth

2. “For this Court to place any limitation on the clear and comprehensive language of the statute, or to create an exception where none exists under the guise of statutory construction, would be to defeat the purpose of the enactment and to engage in judicial legislation.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Phelan v. Commonwealth

3. “The primary objective of statutory construction is to ascertain and give effect to legislative intent. The plain, obvious, and rational meaning of a statute is to be preferred over any curious, narrow, or strained construction.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Campbell v. Harmon