State ex rel. M.B.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 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 2 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “LSA-R.S. 9:402 Any parent of a child, whether the child was born in wedlock or out of wedlock and whether the parent is over or under twenty-one years of age, may surrender the permanent custody of his child to an agency for the purpose of having the child adopted by appearing before a notary and two witnesses and declaring that all of his rights, authority, and obligations, except those pertaining to property, are transferred to the agency. This authentic act shall be signed by the agency and shall constitute a trans fer of custody to the agency after which the agency shall act in lieu of the parent in subsequent adoption proceedings. No surrender of the custody of a child shall be valid unless it is executed according to the provisions of this Part.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State ex rel. T.C.

2. “There is no requirement that an attorney represent the surrendering parent. In Golz v. Children’s Bureau of New Orleans, Inc., 326 So.2d 865 (La.1976), the Supreme Court found that failure of the parents to consult legal counsel during their relationship with the Bureau did not render the act of surrender executed by them invalid. ‘The petitioners have cited no constitutional authority requiring that parties be represented by legal counsel in the confection of contracts of this type, and we know of none.’”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State ex rel. T.C.