Young v. Smith’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

21 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 23 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Be it further enacted, That before a minor child is adopted, valid written consent must be given to such adoptions, either “(1) By both parents (if living), or by the surviving parent, of a legitimate, or legitimated child, or “ (2) By the mother of an illegitimate child, or “(3) By the legal or natural guardian of the person of said child, if both parents are dead, incapacitated or have abandoned the child and cannot be located, or “(4) By a licensed or chartered child-placing agency which, either under the laws of this state or pursuant to the orders of a court committing said child to said agency, has authority to place said child and to consent to the adoption of said child, or “ (5) By the department, or its agents, or by an agency which has legally accepted guardianship and control of the child on valid release and surrender. “Where the child to be adopted is twelve years of age, or over, the consent of such child shall be given privately in chambers.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. In re Haun

2. ““We think it was not the intention of the Legislature that the present and future life of a child should he left to the arbitrary will and possible caprice of anybody, be it the natural parent or any child-caring agency. ’ ’”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. In re Matthews