Knapp v. Whitaker’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate ·

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

1. ““The court finds that School Board Regulation 2111.11 [sic] directing that communications to Board members be made through the Office of the Superintendent is unenforceable. The actions by Terry Knapp in speaking to Board members, both individually and at a public meeting, were protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The court also finds that the following conduct violated Terry Knapp’s rights: 1. The oral reprimand given to Terry Knapp by Harry Whitaker on April 1, 1981. 2. The language contained in the memorandum written by Harry Whitaker to the Board of Education of District 150 on April 1, 1981 referring to Terry Knapp’s violation of Board policy. 3. The written reprimand prepared on April 2 by Harry Whitaker and given to Terry Knapp on April 6. 4. The language placed in Terry Knapp’s April 29, 1981, evaluation referring to his violation of Board policy.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Knapp v. Whitaker

2. ““Instruction 10 was given because the Court concluded that the jury had to know that the Court had determined the protected nature of the speech. If this had not been done, the jury would have been forced to consider the interrogatories in a vacuum. If the speech was not protected the interrogatories were meaningless to begin with.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Knapp v. Whitaker