Melendez v. Shultz’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

12 federal appellate · 2 district · 1 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 20 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “before seizing vehicles and other items of derivative contraband, the forfeitable nature of which often depends on the making of delicate judgments about previous facts and circumstances, the agent must first procure a warrant except in those established circumstances where a warrant would not be required to make a search.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. United States v. One 1972 Chevrolet Nova · United States v. One Pontiac Lemans Vehicle Id No 2f37m56101227 Zullo

2. “Thus were we to sustain the present warrantless seizure, we would be holding that an automobile could itself be seized in the unbridled discretion of an officer although under One 1958 Plymouth Sedan, supra, had the same officer merely searched the same automobile without a warrant, any fruits of his search . . . would have to be suppressed as evidence in a future forfeiture proceeding involving the automobile. If there is any logic to such a result, we fail to see it. The right of the automobile owner not to have it searched is no more worthy of protection than his right not to have it seized without legal procedure.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. United States v. One Pontiac Lemans Vehicle Id No 2f37m56101227 Zullo