Rapp v. State’s Empirical Analysis
1982
Citation profile
7 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 7 later decisions — most recently January 2022
7 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
Relies on Jennings v. State · Wainscott v. State
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 7 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“In regard to the above, see Rapp v. State, 648 P.2d 110 , 111 n. 3 (Alaska 1982) where we observed: Rapp argues that this case differs from Wainscott because the evidence to be presented at trial would show that the state failed to carry out current traffic condition tests and that the criteria set forth in the Alaska Traffic Manual for evaluating traffic control devices indicated that a sequential traffic signal was needed at the intersection of Muldoon Road and Northern Lights Boulevard. Even assuming that Rapp could prove at trial that a sequential signal would have been appropriate, however, we hold that the state’s failure to upgrade the traffic control device at the intersection was a planning level decision immune from liability. “[N]o action may be brought ... based upon ... the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a state agency or an employee of the state, whether or not the discretion involved is abused.” AS 09.50.250(1) (emphasis supplied). See, e.g., Jennings v. State, 566 P.2d 1304, 1311-12 (Alaska 1977).”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority“There are undoubtedly numerous intersections throughout the state where known traffic hazards could be significantly reduced by the installation of more sophisticated traffic control devices. Available funding, however, requires that the Department of Transportation select among these locations in deciding where to make improvements .... [[Image here]] If we were to assess the propriety of this decision, we would be engaging in just the type of judicial review that the discretionary function exception seeks to prevent. The selection of a traffic control device for the New Seward — O’Mal-ley intersection was not a purely ministerial decision implementing a preexisting policy, but rather a decision that called for policy judgment and the exercise of discretion.”
1 later decision 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.