State v. Sheldon’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

27 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 27 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to bum or cause to be burned any cross or other religious symbol upon any private or public property within this State without the express consent of the owner of such property and without first giving notice to the fire department which services the area in which such burning is to take place.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Vawter · Black v. Commonwealth

2. “Whoever places on public or private property a symbol, object, appellation, characterization or graffiti, including, but not limited to, a burning cross or Nazi swastika, which one knows or has reasonable grounds to know arouses anger, alarm or resentment in others on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or gender commits disorderly conduct and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. [St. Paul, Minn. Legis. Code § 292.02 (1990).]”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Vawter

3. “Those who openly burn crosses do so fully cognizant of the controversial racial and religious messages which such acts . impart. Historically, the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses to express hostility towards blacks and other groups it disfavored, and it is that idea which contemporary cross burners aim to perpetuate.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Black v. Commonwealth