Blackman v. Wright’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 district · 5 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 7 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[O]ur rules of statutory construction make clear that in interpreting statutes we must at all times seek to ascertain and effectuate the legislative intent underlying the enactment of the particular statute(s). 1 Pa.C.S. § 1921(a). Where the words of a statute are clear and free from ambiguity the legislative intent is to be gleaned from those very words. Where however, the statute is unclear or susceptible of different interpretations, the courts must look to the necessity of the act, the object to be attained, the circumstances under which it was enacted and any legislative or administrative interpretations thereof. Coretsky v. Board of Commissioners of Butler Township, 520 Pa. 513 , 555 A.2d 72 (1989). In ascertaining the legislative intent of a particular statute it is presumed, inter alia, that the legislature did not intend a result that is absurd or •unreasonable nor, one that would be vio-lative of the United States Constitution or the Constitution of the Commonwealth. It is also presumed that the legislature intends to favor the public interest as opposed to any private interest.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2001 Pa. Super. 306 - Gustine Uniontown Associates, Ltd. Ex Rel. Gustine Uniontown, Inc. v. Anthony Crane Rental, Inc.