Barnes v. Trundy’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

12 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Certain doctrines respecting the maintenance of actions for slanderous words spoken, may be re garded as so fully established as to preclude further debate or controversy. Words in themselves actionable must charge some punishable offence, impute some disgraceful disease, or be spoken of the person in relation to some profession, occupation, or official station in which he was employed. Words in themselves not actionable may be the foundation of an action by reason of some special damage occasioned by them.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Niehoff v. Sahagian

2. ““ To maintain an action on the ground that words spoken of a person with reference to his profession or occupation are in themselves actionable, the declaration must contain a distinct averment that the words were spoken of and concerning the plaintiff, and of and concerning his profession and occupation.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Gerald v. Inter Ocean Publishing Co.