Watson v. Sutherland’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

23 federal appellate · 18 district · 74 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 186 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “.“The absence of a plain and adequate remedy at law affords the only test of equity jurisdiction, and the application of this principle to a particular case, must depend altogether upon the character of the case, as disclosed in the pleadings.””

   8 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. North v. Peters · Berkey v. Cornell

2. ““The supreme court has often been called upon to consider the sixteenth section of. the judiciary act of 1789, and as often, either expressly or by the course of its decisions, has held that it is merely declaratory, making no alteration whatever in the rules of equity on the subject of legal remedy. It is not enough that there is a remedy at law. It must be plain and adequate, or, in other words, as practical and efficient to the ends of justice and its prompt administration as the remedy in equity.””

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Rich v. Braxton · Schmidt v. West

3. ““ The general rule of damage is the value of the property taken, with interest from the time of the taking down to the-trial. This is generally considered as the extent of the damages sustained, and this is deemed legal compensation with reference. solely to the injury done to the property taken, and not to any collateral or consequential damages, resulting to the owner, by the trespass.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Vance v. W. A. Vandercook Co.