Coffin v. Brown’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

43 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 43 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““If every appointee of a President, Governor, or other officer seeking re-election, is to be liable to be subjected to false charges, imputing crimes or other acts that bring reproach upon him, and he is to be deprived of all redress on the theory that words so uttered or published are privileged, then indeed is his lot an unfortunate one.... Our Declaration of Rights declares ‘that any citizen of the State ought to be allowed to speak, write and publish his sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that privilege.’ It is a gross abuse of that privilege to falsely prefer such charges as are made against the appellee in this letter....””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Reichardt v. Flynn · Connor v. Timothy

2. ““We are aware that it is sometimes difficult for the Court to assign reasons for its rulings without saying something that may unintentionally affect the jury. But if a judge makes a statement which shows his opinion of a question of fact which the jury is to pass on, it is very apt to make an impression on some, if not all, of the jurors and great care should be exercised to avoid it. In this case, although it was doubtless altogether unintentional on the part of the learned Judge who presided below, we are convinced that what he said was liable to influence the jury on an important question of fact, and hence it was error for him to make such a statement.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Dempsey v. State

3. ““This man Brown was a Justice of the Peace under Democratic rule, and at that time kept a speak-easy, where he sold whiskey, and then as Justice fined the men for disorderly conduct. He helped stuff the ballot-box at the Republican primaries in Vansville District two years ago, and has no moral character whatever.... A man that everyone who knows him believes can be induced to perpetrate any crime in politics that will pay him.... ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Reichardt v. Flynn