State v. Mason’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

29 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 30 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““We necessarily focus our attention on the literal text of the statute in question and attempt to discern the fair, objective meaning of that text at the time of its enactment.” When reviewing the literal text of the statute, this Court will read the words and phrases of the statute in context and construe them “according to the rules of grammar and common usage.” When the meaning of the text of a statute should have been plain to the legislators who voted on it, “we ordinarily give effect to that meaning.” “Where the statute is clear and unambiguous, the Legislature must be understood to mean what it has expressed, and it is not for the courts to add or subtract from such a statute.” This Court recognized one exception to the “plain meaning rule.” When the application of a statute’s plain language would lead to absurd consequences that the Legislature could not possibly have intended, we should not apply the language literally. “When used in the proper manner, this narrow exception to the plain meaning rule does not intrude on the lawmaking powers of the legislative branch, but rather demonstrates respect for that branch, which we assume would not act in an absurd way.” An inquiry into the intent of the legislators who passed a statute is, at best, a secondary resource for interpreting that statute. “If the plain language of a statute would lead to absurd results, or if the language is not plain but rather ambiguous, then and only then, out of absolute necessity, is it const”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Oliva v. State · Slaughter v. State

2. “§ 46.05 — Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon. (a) A person who has been convicted of a felony involving an act of violence or threatened violence to a person or property commits an offense if he possesses a firearm away from the premises where he lives. (b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Ex Parte Jimenez · Tapps v. State

3. “A person who has been convicted of a felony commits an offense if he possesses a firearm ....”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Oliva v. State · 670 F. Supp. 2d 541 - Coker v. Thaler