Clinton v. Laning’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 12 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 14 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““We think that the voluntary assumption of this duty may fairly be regarded as performing a legal obligation, and that expenditures to a proper extent, within the limit which could be laid down by compulsion, are as valid charges as if they had been compelled, and may be considered as on a similar footing. “But in making these outlays voluntarily, nothing can fairly be included as a payment by obligation beyond what might have been reasonably required in case of refusal.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Richardson v. Detroit & Mackinac Railway Co.

2. “'* The father, mother, and children, being of sufficient ability, of any poor person who is blind, old, lame, impotent or decrepit, so as to be unable to maintain himself, shall, at their own charge, relieve and maintain such poor person, in such manner as shall be approved by the directors of the poor of the township where such poor person may be.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Schwanz v. Wujek