Robinson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 federal appellate · 3 district · 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he “reasonableness” inquiry in an excessive force case is ... whether the officers’ actions are “objectively reasonable” in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them, without regard to their underlying intent or motivation .... An officer’s evil intentions will not make a Fourth Amendment violation out of an objectively reasonable use of force; nor will an officer’s good intentions make an objectively unreasonable use of force constitutional.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Darrow v. Schumacher · 829 F. Supp. 1134 - Dyer v. Sheldon

2. “[None] of our cases authorizes the award of damages against a municipal corporation based on the actions of one of its officers when in fact the jury has concluded that the officer inflicted no constitutional harm. If a person has suffered no constitutional injury at the hands of the individual police officer, the fact that the departmental regulations might have authorized the use of constitutionally excessive force is quite beside the point.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 905 F. Supp. 709 - Habiger v. City of Fargo

3. “Plaintiffs argue that the district court should have admitted the officers’ personnel records at trial because this evidence of prior bad acts was relevant to show “whether the defendant police officers acted with reason and control or maliciously and sadistically for the purpose of causing harm.” This argument is foreclosed by the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Graham [citations omitted].”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Darrow v. Schumacher