Meno v. Kitchens’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

19 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 20 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The plain-meaning rule is subject only to narrow exceptions. For example, we should not “attribute to the Legislature an intention to work an injustice.” State v. Mauritz-Wells Co., 141 Tex. 634 , 175 S.W.2d 238, 242 (1943); see also State Highway Dep’t v. Gorham, 139 Tex. 361 , 162 S.W.2d 934, 936 (1942); Alvarado v. Gonzales, 552 S.W.2d 539, 542 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1977, no writ). Nor should we construe a statute in a way that leads to foolish or absurd consequences. Estate of Padilla v. Charter Oaks Fire Ins. Co., 843 S.W.2d 196, 199 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1992, writ denied); Alvarado, 552 S.W.2d at 542 .... The mere fact that a policy seems unwise or inconsistent with other policies does not justify a departure from the plain meaning of the legislative mandate. See, e.g., Railroad Comm’n v. Miller, 434 S.W.2d 670, 672 (Tex.1968).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. v. Public Utility Commission