5 canonical passages across 3 cases, quoted by 35 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co. v. Williams.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co. v. Williams Anchor | green | “so severe and oppressive as to be wholly disproportioned to the offense and obviously unreasonable.” | 16 |
| 2 | Browning-Ferris Industries of Vermont, Inc. v. Kelco Disposal, Inc. | green | “does not constrain an award of money damages in a civil suit when the government neither has prosecuted the action nor has any right to receive a share of the damages awarded.” | 8 |
| 3 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co. v. Williams | green | “where the penalty prescribed is so severe and oppressive as to be wholly disproportioned to the offense and obviously unreasonable.” | 4 |
| 4 | People Ex Rel. Sheppard v. Money | green | “indeed, it is difficult to imagine a more compelling state interest than the support of children.” | 3 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.