Fretwell v. McLemore’s Empirical Analysis
1875
Citation profile
2 federal appellate · 96 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 101 later decisions (1 by the Supreme Court) — most recently July 2018 · most notably Evans v. Evans (1917), Esslinger v. Spragins (1938)
2 federal appellate · 96 state decisions — followed in 15 states
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on Walker v. Byers · Locke's v. Palmer · Owen v. Slatter · Jones' Executors v. Lightfoot · Vanderveer v. Alston
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 101 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““There can be but one purpose in these statutory provisions, and that purpose is the speedy administration of estates: First, for the benefit of creditors, who have the priority of right, and when their claims are satisfied, the payment of legacies, or distribution to the heir or next of kin. When the heir or legatee succeeds to the estate, that it shall be to a title freed from the incumbrance of or liability to debts.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority““Tlie language of the statute is clear, unambiguous, and comprehensive. Words more significant to express every demand to which a personal representative can or ought to respond, or which can charge the assets in his hands subject to administration, or more' expressive of every legal liability, resting upon the decedent, could not have been employed.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. Newbery v. Wilkinson“in reference to the probate of wills, the grant of letters testamentary and of administration, the collection, preservation, and distribution of the assets, the payment of debts and legacies, the enforcement of the liability of executors and administrators to creditors, heirs, and legatees, and to their successors in the administration”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. Harbin v. Estess
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.