The doctrines Missouri courts name when they cite: mined from the sentence each citation lives in, keyed on the citing court, counted by distinct opinions. Entry by issue, not by case: pick one to see the cases on each side.
| # | Issue | Most-cited case | Opinions | Courts | Years | Last 5y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | plain error | State v. McMillin | 1,849 | 3 | 1900–2025 | 171 |
| 2 | affirmative defense | ITT Commercial Finance Corp. v. Mid-America Marine Supply Corp. | 1,169 | 2 | 1890–2025 | 86 |
| 3 | verdict-directing instruction | Hooper Ex Rel. Hooper v. Conrad | 593 | 2 | 1945–2025 | 29 |
| 4 | due process clause | Cage v. Louisiana | 555 | 2 | 1924–2025 | 31 |
| 5 | hearsay rule | Chambers v. Mississippi | 548 | 2 | 1915–2025 | 31 |
| 6 | Strickland test | Strickland v. Washington | 431 | 2 | 1958–2025 | 117 |
| 7 | Miranda warning | Miranda v. Arizona | 395 | 2 | 1968–2025 | 19 |
| 8 | ineffective assistance of counsel claim | Strickland v. Washington | 373 | 2 | 1970–2025 | 44 |
| 9 | Movant claim | Strickland v. Washington | 371 | 2 | 1968–2025 | 43 |
| 10 | humanitarian doctrine | Banks v. Morris Company | 326 | 2 | 1903–1986 | 0 |
| 11 | fundamental principle | Brown Group, Inc. v. Administrative Hearing Commission | 321 | 3 | 1884–2025 | 14 |
| 12 | double jeopardy clause | Missouri v. Hunter | 319 | 2 | 1956–2025 | 35 |
| 13 | abuse of discretion standard | State v. Milliorn | 288 | 2 | 1979–2025 | 38 |
| 14 | properly-pleaded affirmative defense | ITT Commercial Finance Corp. v. Mid-America Marine Supply Corp. | 279 | 2 | 1993–2025 | 14 |
| 15 | exclusionary rule | United States v. Leon | 268 | 2 | 1951–2025 | 15 |
| 16 | Batson challenge | State v. Parker | 267 | 2 | 1987–2025 | 11 |
| 17 | MAI instruction | Brown v. St. Louis Public Service Company | 252 | 2 | 1967–2025 | 12 |
| 18 | res ipsa loquitur doctrine | McCloskey Ex Rel. McCloskey v. Koplar | 237 | 2 | 1907–2017 | 0 |
| 19 | equal protection clause | Batson v. Kentucky | 235 | 3 | 1924–2025 | 8 |
| 20 | claim of reversible error | Thummel v. King | 218 | 2 | 1994–2025 | 35 |
| 21 | Missouri rule | State Ex Rel. Hall v. Cook | 215 | 2 | 1869–2024 | 7 |
| 22 | submission instruction | Wright v. Barr | 207 | 2 | 1895–2025 | 8 |
| 23 | sovereign immunity | Jones v. State Highway Commission | 200 | 3 | 1914–2025 | 19 |
| 24 | claim of plain error | State v. Brown | 188 | 2 | 1983–2025 | 23 |
| 25 | self-defense instruction | State v. Westfall | 186 | 2 | 1901–2025 | 27 |
| 26 | warrant requirement | State v. Burkhardt | 175 | 2 | 1914–2025 | 10 |
| 27 | converse instruction | Kimbrough v. Chervitz | 161 | 2 | 1901–2023 | 1 |
| 28 | guilty plea hearing | Smith v. State | 159 | 2 | 1972–2025 | 10 |
| 29 | per se rule | Williams Ex Rel. Wilford v. Barnes Hospital | 155 | 2 | 1967–2024 | 4 |
| 30 | Fifth Amendment privilege | Miranda v. Arizona | 154 | 2 | 1971–2021 | 1 |
| 31 | abandonment doctrine | Charles K. Moore v. State of Missouri | 149 | 2 | 1885–2025 | 49 |
| 32 | against-the-weight-of-the-evidence challenge | Richard E. Ivie, Jimmie R. Ivie, LaDonna Small, and Bernard Ivie v. Arnold L. Smith and Sidney B. Smith | 146 | 2 | 2010–2025 | 58 |
| 33 | burden of demonstrating error | Crews v. Crews | 144 | 2 | 1969–2022 | 2 |
| 34 | ease bar | State v. Wissing | 144 | 2 | 1860–2015 | 0 |
| 35 | parol evidence rule | Commerce Trust Co. v. Watts | 143 | 2 | 1909–2025 | 7 |
| 36 | lesser included offense instruction | State of Missouri v. Bruce Pierce | 139 | 2 | 1976–2025 | 18 |
| 37 | prejudicial error | State v. Miller | 134 | 2 | 1889–2025 | 5 |
| 38 | escape rule | State v. Troupe | 133 | 2 | 1973–2024 | 12 |
| 39 | alibi defense | State v. Clark | 131 | 2 | 1893–2025 | 10 |
| 40 | res judicata doctrine | Chesterfield Village, Inc. v. City of Chesterfield | 129 | 2 | 1882–2025 | 10 |
| 41 | Fourth Amendment violation | State v. Miller | 128 | 3 | 1969–2025 | 9 |
| 42 | Terry stop | Terry v. Ohio | 127 | 2 | 1981–2024 | 8 |
| 43 | legal reasons claim | Hall v. Missouri Bd. of Probation and Parole | 124 | 2 | 1919–2025 | 25 |
| 44 | Father motion | Houston v. Crider | 122 | 2 | 1919–2025 | 18 |
| 45 | official immunity | Southers v. City of Farmington | 120 | 3 | 1979–2025 | 17 |
| 46 | Mother motion | Lunsford v. E_ L_ K | 117 | 2 | 1993–2025 | 13 |
| 47 | face claim | State v. Dudley | 113 | 2 | 1907–2025 | 13 |
| 48 | ineffective assistance claim | Strickland v. Washington | 110 | 2 | 1985–2025 | 32 |
| 49 | circumstantial evidence instruction | State v. Grim | 109 | 2 | 1933–2024 | 4 |
| 50 | law of the case doctrine | Walton v. City of Berkeley | 109 | 2 | 1967–2025 | 19 |
| 51 | corresponding increase error | State v. Clemmons | 107 | 2 | 1990–2025 | 6 |
| 52 | reasonable doubt error | State v. Griffin | 107 | 2 | 1889–2023 | 4 |
| 53 | party challenging instruction | Hervey v. Missouri Department of Corrections | 105 | 2 | 1983–2025 | 15 |
| 54 | approved instruction | State v. Goodwin | 101 | 2 | 1884–2025 | 5 |
| 55 | confrontation clause | Crawford v. Washington | 101 | 2 | 1973–2024 | 15 |
| 56 | knowing and intelligent waiver | Argersinger v. Hamlin | 99 | 2 | 1970–2025 | 14 |
| 57 | contributory negligence instruction | Gustafson v. Benda | 97 | 2 | 1903–2024 | 1 |
| 58 | sufficiency of the evidence claim | State v. Storey | 97 | 2 | 1987–2025 | 25 |
| 59 | contention error | Mitchell v. Board of Education of Normandy School District | 96 | 2 | 1909–2025 | 1 |
| 60 | form instruction | Shores v. Express Lending Services, Inc. | 93 | 2 | 1886–2025 | 6 |
| 61 | mootness doctrine | State v. Gibson | 93 | 2 | 1976–2025 | 16 |
| 62 | respondeat superior doctrine | McGinnis v. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Co. | 92 | 2 | 1874–2025 | 6 |
| 63 | Husband motion | Murphy v. Carron | 91 | 2 | 1895–2024 | 11 |
| 64 | mai-cr instruction | State v. Ervin | 91 | 2 | 1976–2025 | 3 |
| 65 | comparative fault instruction | Gustafson v. Benda | 90 | 2 | 1984–2024 | 5 |
| 66 | manslaughter instruction | State v. Ayers | 90 | 2 | 1926–2019 | 0 |
| 67 | withdrawal instruction | Helming v. Adams | 89 | 2 | 1928–2019 | 0 |
| 68 | attorney-client privilege | State Ex Rel. Cain v. Barker | 88 | 2 | 1971–2024 | 8 |
| 69 | gave instruction | State v. Wright | 88 | 2 | 1877–2025 | 1 |
| 70 | offense rule | State v. Treadway | 88 | 2 | 1902–2024 | 4 |
| 71 | Alford plea | North Carolina v. Alford | 87 | 2 | 1983–2025 | 15 |
| 72 | collateral estoppel doctrine | Oates v. Safeco Insurance Co. of America | 87 | 2 | 1973–2025 | 6 |
| 73 | blood alcohol test | Sellenriek v. Director of Revenue | 83 | 2 | 1968–2024 | 4 |
| 74 | Wife motion | Thummel v. King | 83 | 2 | 1885–2025 | 8 |
| 75 | personal privilege | Osborne v. Schutt | 81 | 2 | 1885–2025 | 2 |
| 76 | proffered instruction | Marion v. Marcus | 81 | 2 | 1919–2025 | 12 |
| 77 | refused instruction | Banks v. Morris Company | 81 | 2 | 1867–2019 | 0 |
| 78 | like rule | Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital v. Mercury Construction Corp. | 80 | 2 | 1856–2018 | 0 |
| 79 | de novo standard | Burns v. Smith | 78 | 2 | 1968–2025 | 9 |
| 80 | generally accepted rule | Coleman v. Jackson County | 77 | 2 | 1882–2024 | 1 |
| 81 | judicially created doctrine | Crawley v. State | 77 | 2 | 1986–2025 | 8 |
| 82 | adverse claim | Speck v. Riggin | 75 | 2 | 1867–2024 | 3 |
| 83 | public policy exception | Fleshner v. Pepose Vision Institute, P.C. | 75 | 2 | 1984–2025 | 3 |
| 84 | harmless error | Chapman v. California | 74 | 2 | 1902–2023 | 4 |
| 85 | plain view doctrine | Coolidge v. New Hampshire | 73 | 2 | 1972–2017 | 0 |
| 86 | Brady violation | Strickler v. Greene | 72 | 2 | 1975–2025 | 7 |
| 87 | offending instruction | Hervey v. Missouri Department of Corrections | 72 | 2 | 1983–2025 | 7 |
| 88 | qualified privilege | Pulliam v. Bond | 72 | 2 | 1909–2021 | 1 |
| 89 | deliberate violation | Powell v. DIV. OF EMP. SEC., ETC. | 71 | 1 | 1954–2025 | 1 |
| 90 | pattern instruction | Wilson v. Murch | 71 | 2 | 1958–2024 | 2 |
| 91 | source of funds rule | Hoffmann v. Hoffmann | 71 | 1 | 1985–2020 | 0 |
| 92 | appeal or writ error | State ex rel. Busch v. Dillon | 70 | 2 | 1867–2021 | 1 |
| 93 | claim for plain error | State v. Clay | 70 | 2 | 1990–2025 | 33 |
| 94 | Respondents motion | Margiotta v. Christian Hospital Northeast Northwest | 70 | 2 | 1872–2025 | 14 |
| 95 | damage instruction | Boten v. Brecklein | 69 | 2 | 1954–2020 | 0 |
| 96 | burden of proof instruction | Arnel ex rel. Luadzers v. Roettgen | 68 | 2 | 1935–2020 | 0 |
| 97 | waiver of sovereign immunity | Langley v. Curators of the University of Missouri | 68 | 2 | 1981–2025 | 10 |
| 98 | corroboration rule | State v. Sladek | 67 | 2 | 1911–2024 | 1 |
| 99 | estoppel doctrine | Farmers' & Laborers' Co-Operative Insurance Ass'n v. Director of Revenue | 67 | 2 | 1877–2025 | 2 |
| 100 | American rule | Laubinger v. Laubinger | 66 | 2 | 1877–2019 | 0 |
| 101 | assertion of plain error | State v. Hunn | 66 | 2 | 1980–2016 | 0 |
| 102 | burden of proving claim | Beckham v. Beckham | 66 | 2 | 1929–2025 | 10 |
| 103 | corollary rule | Epperson v. Postal Telegraph Cable Co. | 65 | 3 | 1905–2025 | 2 |
| 104 | facts showing violation | United C.O.D. v. State | 65 | 2 | 1954–2024 | 10 |
| 105 | foundation claim | Grue v. Hensley | 65 | 2 | 1876–2022 | 3 |
| 106 | physician-patient privilege | State Ex Rel. McNutt v. Keet | 65 | 2 | 1968–2025 | 5 |
| 107 | prima facie presumption | Duren v. Missouri | 65 | 2 | 1884–2023 | 2 |
| 108 | correctness instruction | Lewis Ex Rel. Piening v. Zagata | 64 | 2 | 1840–1986 | 0 |
| 109 | exclusion of any other instruction | State v. Ervin | 64 | 2 | 1967–2025 | 6 |
| 110 | intent to never again claim | In Re Watson v. Watson | 64 | 2 | 1974–2021 | 1 |
| 111 | penalty violation | Christy v. Petrus | 64 | 2 | 1878–2022 | 2 |
| 112 | refusal instruction | Miles v. Davis | 64 | 2 | 1886–2014 | 0 |
| 113 | direct claim | State Ex Rel. Nixon v. American Tobacco Co. | 63 | 2 | 1914–2023 | 4 |
| 114 | proponent instruction | Brown v. St. Louis Public Service Company | 63 | 2 | 1968–2024 | 1 |
| 115 | allegations error | Taylor v. United Parcel Service, Inc. | 62 | 2 | 1950–2025 | 2 |
| 116 | Director claim | Colhouer v. Director of Revenue | 62 | 2 | 1927–2024 | 3 |
| 117 | personal injury claim | McCracken v. Wal-Mart Stores East, LP | 62 | 2 | 1967–2025 | 4 |
| 118 | public duty doctrine | Southers v. City of Farmington | 62 | 3 | 1984–2025 | 9 |
| 119 | ex post facto clause | State v. Wings | 61 | 2 | 1988–2024 | 3 |
| 120 | propriety instruction | Hopkins v. Goose Creek Land Co., Inc. | 61 | 2 | 1860–2015 | 0 |
| 121 | witness claim | State v. Yager | 61 | 2 | 1885–2023 | 1 |
| 122 | case falls within rule | State v. Smith | 60 | 2 | 1879–2025 | 2 |
| 123 | prejudice prong test | State v. Simmons | 60 | 2 | 1988–2025 | 10 |
| 124 | wrongful death claim | Frazee v. Partney | 60 | 2 | 1973–2024 | 3 |
| 125 | exclusion clause | Sylcox v. National Lead Co. | 59 | 2 | 1933–2025 | 3 |
| 126 | modern doctrine | Utter v. Sidman | 59 | 2 | 1892–2025 | 1 |
| 127 | res ipsa doctrine | Maybach v. Falstaff Brewing Corp. | 58 | 2 | 1931–2004 | 0 |
| 128 | Blockburger test | Blockburger v. United States | 57 | 2 | 1977–2024 | 6 |
| 129 | employer violation | Boyle v. Vista Eyewear, Inc. | 57 | 2 | 1947–2024 | 5 |
| 130 | probable cause standard | Riche v. Director of Revenue | 57 | 2 | 1970–2024 | 1 |
| 131 | claim of instructional error | Carroll v. Kelsey | 56 | 2 | 1988–2025 | 15 |
| 132 | policy defense | Greer v. Zurich Insurance Company | 56 | 2 | 1875–2021 | 1 |
| 133 | Tbe rule | Hartford Fire Insurance v. Walsh | 56 | 2 | 1853–1954 | 0 |
| 134 | elementary principle | State v. Fenton | 55 | 2 | 1881–2024 | 1 |
| 135 | give instruction | State v. Snyder | 55 | 2 | 1886–2017 | 0 |
| 136 | party offering instruction | Roque v. Kaw Transport Co. | 55 | 2 | 1941–2024 | 1 |
| 137 | probation revocation hearing | State ex rel. Zimmerman v. Dolan | 55 | 2 | 1978–2024 | 8 |
| 138 | information instruction | State v. Lee | 54 | 2 | 1902–2024 | 1 |
| 139 | opportunity to correct error | Douglass v. Safire | 54 | 2 | 1878–2024 | 9 |
| 140 | second degree murder instruction | State v. Santillan | 54 | 2 | 1973–2025 | 1 |
| 141 | emergency exception | Rohde v. St. Louis Public Service Co. | 53 | 2 | 1908–2023 | 1 |
| 142 | employee violation | Hawkins v. State | 53 | 2 | 1907–2024 | 6 |
| 143 | felony-murder rule | State v. Williams | 53 | 2 | 1964–2020 | 0 |
| 144 | hammer instruction | State v. Anderson | 53 | 2 | 1976–2018 | 0 |
| 145 | lien claim | De Witt v. Smith | 53 | 2 | 1881–2019 | 0 |
| 146 | omnibus clause | Varble Ex Rel. Varble v. Stanley | 53 | 2 | 1947–2014 | 0 |
| 147 | paramount rule | First National Bank of Kansas City v. Hyde | 53 | 2 | 1887–2024 | 4 |
| 148 | second step analysis | State v. Stanley | 53 | 2 | 1988–2019 | 0 |
| 149 | special negative defense | State v. Boyd | 53 | 2 | 1977–2025 | 5 |
| 150 | adverse possession claim | Sleepy Hollow Ranch LLC v. Robinson | 52 | 2 | 1855–2025 | 7 |
Top 150 by distinct citing opinions.