Davis v. Davis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 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 9 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““It is axiomatic that the true guide for the court is the welfare of the child. The dominant thought is that a child is not a chattel to be disposed of according to the wishes of either or both of his parents, but is a human being and personality and is to be treated as such. This rule for disposition of a child is not only directed by the statute, § 2123 but by the dictates of morality and of wisdom born of experience. To that end his custody may be awarded one parent or the other or to his grandparents, or a stranger, according to circumstances.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Smith v. Smith

2. ““ * * * in the molding of the character and habits of a young life, it is as foolish to keep shifting him between his parents whose incompatibility has wrecked their attempt to establish a home * * * as it would be to keep shifting a plastic compound from one mold to another and back again.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. McLemore v. McLemore