Commonwealth v. Beam’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

34 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 36 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[Legislative enactments are generally to be construed in such a manner as to effect their objects and promote justice, see 1 Pa. C.S. § 1928(c), and, in assessing a statute, courts are directed to consider the consequences of a particular interpretation, as well as other factors enumerated in the Statutory Construction Act.... Based upon such considerations, the rule requiring express legislative delegation is tempered by the recognition that an administrative agency is invested with the implied authority necessary to the effectuation of its express mandates.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. INSURANCE FEDERATION OF PA v. Dept. of Ins. · DRN, Inc. v. Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

2. “[ W]hen the legislature statutorily invests an agency with certain functions, duties, and responsibilities, the agency has a legislatively conferred interest in such matters. From this it must follow that, unless the legislature has provided otherwise, such an agency has an implicit power to be a litigant in matters touching upon its concerns. In such circumstances the legislature has implicitly ordained that such an agency is a proper party litigant, ie., that it has “standing”....”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Merscorp, Inc. v. Del. Cnty. · Commonwealth, Department of Health v. Hanes

3. “it is evident from the Aviation Code that the Legislature intended to confer upon the Department an ability to secure compliance with ... statutory requirements”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Belden & Blake Corp. v. Commonwealth