Burrus v. Vegliante’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 federal appellate · 2 district · 2 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. “The Hatch Act (5 [United States Code (U.S.C.)] §§ 7321-7326) generally permits most federal employees, including United States Postal Employees to actively participate in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns. Covered employees, however, are prohibited from engaging in political activity while on duty, in a government office or building, while wearing an official uniform or using a government vehicle. See 5 U.S.C. § 7324 . Political activity has been defined as activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group. 5 [Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)] § 734.101. Therefore, covered employees are prohibited, among other things, from displaying or posting partisan political posters or partisan candidates' position statements in government of fices or buildings, including union space and bulletin boards.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. In re Hawai'i Government Employees Ass'n, Local 152

2. “the bulletin boards are controlled by the [union], which is an agent of the active employees, and its use for ‘political activity' must be deemed to be an act of those employees.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Pinto v. State Civil Service Commission

3. “Where possible, we avoid construing a statute so as to render a provision mere surplusage.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Lutwin v. Thompson