Pratt v. Brown’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 district · 18 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 21 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““When a principle of law, doubtful in its character, or uncertain in the subject-matter of its application, has been settled by a series of judicial decisions, and acquiesced in for a considerable time, . . . courts will hesitate long before they will attempt to overturn the result so long established. So when it is apparently indifferent which of two or more rules is adopted, which [ever] one is adopted by judicial sanction it will be adhered to, though it may not, at the moment, appear to be the preferable rule.””

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

2. ““But when a question arises involving important public and private rights, extending to all coming time, has been passed upon on a single occasion, and which decision can in no just sense be said to have been acquiesced in, it is not only the right, but the duty of the court, when properly called upon, to re-examine the questions involved, and again subject them to judicial scrutiny.””

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