Sutton v. Figgatt’s Empirical Analysis
1971
Citation profile
28 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 31 later decisions — most recently November 2015 · most notably Presnell v. Pell (1979), Lloyd v. Babb (1979)
28 state decisions
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on 45 Ill. 2d 378 - White v. Board of Appeals · Harris v. . Board of Education · Hamlet Hospital v. Joint Committee on Standardization · People ex rel. Bruce v. Dunne · St. George v. Hanson
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 31 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“Mandamus lies when the following elements are present: First, the party seeking relief must demonstrate a clear legal right to the act requested. Second, the defendant must have a legal duty to perform the act requested. Moreover, the duty must be clear and not reasonably debatable. Third, performance of the duty-bound act must be ministerial in nature and not involve the exercise of discretion. Nevertheless, a court may issue a writ of mandamus to a public official compelling the official to make a discretionary decision, as long as the court does not require a particular result. Fourth, the defendant must have “neglécted or refused to perform” the act requested, and the time for performance of the act must have expired. Mandamus may not be used to reprimand an official, to redress a past wrong, or to prevent a future legal injury. Finally, the court may only issue a writ of mandamus in the absence of an alternative, legally adequate remedy. When appeal is the proper remedy, mandamus does not lie.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage“In a case involving the exercise of discretion, mandamus lies to compel action by a public official but not to dictate his decision unless there has been a clear abuse of discretion.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage“a board, corporation, inferior court, officer or person commanding the performance of a specified official duty imposed by law.”
1 later decision quote this exact passagee.g. In Re THT
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.