Shortt v. Lasswell’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

7 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. “"Consequently, it appears that the test is not whether the mother was once immature and is now mature. The question is whether the cause or causes of the placement of the child with third parties has abated, and if so, whether the parent is now fit for custody and modification is necessary to serve the child's best interests." Shortt v. Lasswell, 765 S.W.2d 387, 389 (Mo.App.1989). (Emphasis added.)”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Carter v. Arnett · In Re Marriage of Carter

2. “[t]he court shall not modify a prior custody decree unless it has jurisdiction under the provisions of section 452.450 and it finds, upon the basis of facts that have arisen since the prior decree or that were unknown to the court at the time of the prior decree, that a change has occurred in the circumstances of the child or his custodian and that the modification is necessary to serve the best interests of the child.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Searcy v. Seedorff