Thomas v. Smith’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

13 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 13 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “... any child may establish filiation, regardless of the circumstances of conception ...”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Smith v. Cole · 469 So. 2d 287 - Finnerty v. Boyett

2. “"A. A child not entitled to legitimate filiation nor filiated by the initiative of the parent by legitimation or by acknowledgment under Article 203 must prove filiation by a preponderance of the evidence in a civil proceeding instituted by the child or on his behalf within the time limit provided in this Article. B. The proceeding required by this Article must be brought within one year of the death of the alleged parent or within nineteen years of the child's birth, whichever first occurs. This time limitation shall run against all persons, including minors and interdicts. If the proceeding is not timely instituted, the child may not thereafter establish his filiation."”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 469 So. 2d 287 - Finnerty v. Boyett

3. “"An informal acknowledgment must be of a continuous, habitual, and unequivocal nature and of sufficient frequency that there can be little doubt that the alleged father truly believes himself to be the father of the child." Thomas v. Smith, 463 So.2d 971, 975 (La.App. 3 Cir.1985).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 560 So. 2d 111 - Talley v. Stuckey