Ribet v. Ribet’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 district · 22 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 23 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““In view of the provisions of the Code of Alabama on the subject of divorce, and the general current of authority, we hold the doctrine that any one of the statutory causes for a divorce may be set up in bar of a bill for a divorce a vinculo predicated on any other of the statutory causes. Barbour on M. and D. § 396 et seq.; 12 Mo. 53 . Thus, if the husband proceeds for a divorce on the ground of adultery of the wife, she may defeat his suit by alleging and proving that he himself was guilty of such cruelty towards her as would otherwise have entitled her to a decree for a divorce as against him; and so, vice versa, if she proceed on -the ground of his cruelty, he may reply in bar that she was guilty of adultery. And, as has been already shown, if such bar is not actually set up and relied on in the answer of either party, and the proofs in the case nevertheless show the fact to exist, the court is authorized and required to hear such proof, and be governed accordingly. If both are guilty of such want of fidelity to their matrimonial vows, whether in one way or another, as goes to show that neither is strictly an ‘aggrieved’ party, the court will not disturb the binding force of that great bond of society, the marriage contract.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Stabile v. Stabile

2. ““No one deserves to succeed in a suit to dissolve the bonds of marriage, that foundation upon which the whole framework of civilized society may be said to rest, who does not come into court without great blame; and it is the right and the duty of the court to be governed by the facts of the case going to establish its true character, no matter how they may be elicited. Bishop[ 12 ] says: ‘A maxim in these suits, therefore, is, that a cause is never concluded as against the judge; and the court may, and, to satisfy its conscience, sometimes does, of its own motion go into inquiry of matters not involved in the pleadings.’ ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Christopher v. Christopher