Birl v. Wallis’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 6 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"(a) If at the final hearing upon a petition seeking to commit a person to the custody of the state department of mental health or such other public facility as the court may order, the probate judge, on the basis of clear, unequivocal and convincing evidence, shall find: "(1) That the person sought to be committed is mentally ill; and "(2) That as a consequence of the mental illness the person poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to himself or to others; and "(3) That the threat of substantial harm has been evidenced by a recent overt act; and "(4) That treatment is available for the person's mental illness or that confinement is necessary to prevent the person from causing substantial harm to himself or to others; and "(5) That commitment is the least restrictive alternative necessary and available for treatment of the person's mental illness; then upon such findings, the probate judge shall enter an order setting forth his findings, granting the petition and ordering the person committed to the custody of the Alabama state department of mental health or to such other public facility as the court may order."”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Schell v. STATE DEPT. OF MENTAL HEALTH · 549 So. 2d 631 - Harkey v. State

2. “it is well established that a patient must be unconditionally released from involuntary confinement once the grounds for initial confinement cease to exist”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 811 F. Supp. 1533 - WYATT BY AND THROUGH RAWLINS v. King