Powell v. Ward’s Empirical Analysis
643 F.2d 924 · 1981
Citation profile
42 federal appellate · 9 district · 2 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 154 later decisions — most recently March 2024 · most notably Ruiz v. Estelle (1982), New York State National Organization for Women v. Terry (1989)
42 federal appellate · 9 district · 2 state decisions
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
Applies 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Civil Rights Act of 1871 / Section 1983 (Ku Klux Klan Act)) · 42 U.S.C. § 1988
Relies on Wolff v. McDonnell · Carey v. Piphus · United States v. United Mine Workers of America · Wood v. Strickland · McComb v. Jacksonville Paper Co.
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 154 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“A court may hold a party in civil contempt only if there is a clear and unambiguous order, noncompliance is proved clearly and convincingly, and “the defendant has not been reasonably diligent and energetic in attempting to accomplish what was ordered.””
5 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“1. Defendants shall conduct all Adjustment Committee or Superintendent’s Proceedings, or other disciplinary proceedings that may result in an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility being confined in a Special Housing Unit or Segregation Unit, in accordance with the following procedures: a) Formal written notice of charges must be served on the inmate at least 24 hours before the hearing; b) The inmate shall be permitted to call witnesses on her behalf provided that so doing does not jeopardize institutional safety or correctional goals. The written notice of charges served in accordance with Paragraph 1(a), shall inform the inmate of her right to call witnesses; c) If permission to call a witness is denied, the party conducting the hearing shall give the inmate a written statement stating the reasons for the denial, including the specific threat to institutional safety or correctional goals presented by the witness.”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“Civil as distinguished from criminal contempt is a sanction to enforce compliance with an order of the court or to compensate for losses or damages sustained by reason of noncompliance. Since the purpose is remedial, it matters not with what intent the defendant did the prohibited act.”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
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.