Crips v. Towsley’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 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 3 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Nothing could justify completely stripping an old and feeble man of .his property, who, if not otherwise deficient beyond the usual weakness of age and illness, was unable, through deafness, to know all that went on near him. There can be no doubt that if he meant to do anything to secure the enjoyment of his estate by his daughter, he expected to be supported during his life, and that without some assurance of this there could have been no conceivable reason for parting with his all. It is shown by the record, not only that Mrs. Towsley made no agreement, verbal or written, to support her father, but that she never had any idea of changing their relations so as to bind her further than she was bound by natural duty. It was not proper for an attorney called in to advise an aged man in disposing of his estate to give him to understand that he could safely act as it is' claimed he did act. Furthermore, Mrs. Towsley was not the head of her family, and could not bind her husband, to furnish her father with what he needed. Her death, or her husband’s refusal, would leave the old man helpless. It is not necessary to review all of the numerous considerations which have led courts to deal with such performances as are set out in this record as unconscionable, whether wickedly designed or not. But it is impossible to believe, from testimony before us, that complainant understood that he was doing what defendants claim he did. Neither his conduct nor theirs is consistent with such a n”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Lewandowski v. Nadolny