Carson v. Elrod’s Empirical Analysis
1976
Citation profile
1 state decisions
Relationships
Applies 28 U.S.C. § 1343 · 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Civil Rights Act of 1871 / Section 1983 (Ku Klux Klan Act))
Relies on Stanley v. Illinois · Armstrong v. Manzo · Charles Dowd Box Co. v. Courtney · Burrus · United States v. Jones
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 2 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“Indeed, if this court had the power to set aside custody awards and subsequent adoptions, the harm which would ensue from the exercise of that authority would extend into the homes and lives of countless other persons who thought themselves secure in their capacities either as adoptive parents or as adopted child. If ever there was a need for a statute of repose, it lies in this field.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.