Cochran v. Hocker’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 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 3 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““The lands of the Creek Nation originally belonged to the nation as such, and not to the citizens thereof. They 'constituted the public domain of the tribe, and no member of the tribe owned any particular land, or any undivided interest therein, or any inheritable interest. They were held to a certain extent as the public domain of the United States is held. It belongs to the government. From this condition of affairs, it necessarily resulted that no citizens of the tribe could convey any right of property or possession in any land within the tribal limits. Towns and cities-were built notwithstanding these conditions, because the inhabitants thereof (citizens of: the United States and citizens of the tribe) were willing to take the chance upon treaties-being made between the United States and the tribe, protecting these investments. The purpose of the acts referred to was in part to make possible the acquisition of title to-town lots in the Indian Territory, and in so-doing- to recognize the rights of those who-had erected improvements thereon, by giving: them the right to purchase at one-half the appraised value. But these rights vested only in accordance with the terms of the treaties and upon the conditions thereby imposed. Under the Curtis Act, before the right vested, the town-site commission must be created-After its creation, it must survey the town and file the plats. After this, it must appraise the lots at their true value, excluding improvements. After this, the ap”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Turner v. Kirkwood