Steele v. Steele’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 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 2 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “the [Vessels ’ trial court] announced [its] decision in open court and made a signed, dated, notation on the court file, all before the death of the spouse. In the present case, no decision was announced in open court; but, some three weeks after the trial, the Trial Judge wrote and signed a letter to the Trial Clerk with copies to counsel announcing his decision.... There is no evidence of when, if ever, the letter was received by the Trial Clerk.... There is no other evidence that [the judge’s letter] ever became part of the records of the Trial Clerk.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Blackburn v. Blackburn

2. “If feasible, the best method of announcing a decision is by signed order filed with the Clerk and distributed to counsel or the parties. It is proper, of course, to file a memorandum opinion or other pertinent document such as a finding of facts. Such a document should clearly indicate in its text whether it is intended to serve as a judgment and be effective upon filing, or whether it is informational only and is to take effect when implemented by a judgment.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Blackburn v. Blackburn