United States v. Pugh’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

23 federal appellate · 4 district · 7 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 115 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “in the case of a.doubtful and ambiguous law, the contemporaneous construction of those who have been called upon to carry it into effect is entitled to great respect,. Edwards' Lessee v. Darby, 12 Wheat. 210 ,”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Hahn v. United States · Brown v. United States

2. “Confessedly, the court has found all the facts which have been directly established by the evidence. These facts are not evidence in the sense that evidence means the statements of witnesses or documents produced in court for inspection. They are the results of evidence, and whether they establish the ultimate ■ fact to be reached is, if a question of fact at all, to say the least, in the nature of a question of law. If what has been found is, in the absence of anything to the contrary, the legal equivalent ■ of a direct finding that the proceeds of this claimant’s property have been paid into the treasury, the judgment is right; otherwise, it is wrong. The inquiry thus presented is as to the legal effect of facts proved, not of the evidence given to mate the proof,”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Sun Mutual Insurance v. Ocean Insurance

3. “that, when the rights of the parties depend upon circumstantial facts alone, and there is doubt as to the legal effect of the facts, it is the duty of the court, when requested, to so frame its findings as to put the doubtful question into the record. This would not require us on appeal to decide upon the weight of evidence. That is done in the court below when the particular fact is found which the evidence tends to prove. The effect of mere evidence stops when the fact it proves is established. After that, the question is as to the effect of the fact; and when the evidence in a case has performed its part, and brought out all the facts that have been proved, these facts thus established are to be grouped and their legal effect as a whole determined.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. McClure v. United States