Searcy v. Seedorff’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

40 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 40 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he court shall not modify a prior custody decree unless ... 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.”

   6 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Wallace v. Chapman · Kinner v. Scott

2. “In this case, however, the guardian ad litem testified that the Seedorffs were directed by him and later the court to suspend visitation due to a pending division of family services investigation. The Seedorffs admit that Ms. Searcy was denied visitation with two of the children once because the children were ill, but Ms. Searcy was unable to recall with any specificity any other missed visitation periods. Such evidence failed to show a pattern of ‘willful denial of visitation' on the part of the Seedorffs and does not provide a substantial change in circumstances justifying a modification of custody.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Wallace v. Chapman

3. ““The power to set aside a trial court’s judgment on the ground that it is against the weight of the evidence should be exercised with caution and with a firm belief that the decree or judgment is wrong. .... In reviewing a contention that the evidence is insufficient, the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, and deference is accorded to the trial court’s assessment of credibility.” Seedorff, 8 S.W.3d at 116 (internal citations omitted).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Brizendine v. Conrad