Statutory Interpretation
30 groups with Virgin Islands opinions1977–2026
- Statutory Interpretation and Application of Law71 opinions · 1982–2026Interpreting court rules using statutory construction principles · Interpreting statute language and judicial review standards · Reconciling conflicting statutes using specific over general rule
- Lenity and Stare Decisis in Construction64 opinions · 1978–2026Interpreting local statute based on federal statute language · Interpreting statutory terms against common law usage · Determining meaning of federal statute terms
- Statutory Interpretation Principles and Rules59 opinions · 1995–2026Interpreting statutes by plain language and unambiguous text · Statutory interpretation: specific versus general statutes · Interpreting statutes against plain meaning and absurdity
- Statutory Interpretation of Criminal Law42 opinions · 2004–2026Interpreting statutory ambiguity in criminal offenses · Interpreting statutes, especially penal statutes, strictly · Applying the rule of lenity to criminal statutes and penalties
- Statutory Interpretation Principles and Methods36 opinions · 1978–2026Interpreting statutory language to avoid rendering provisions superfluous · Interpreting statutes to avoid conflict or implied repeal · Statutory interpretation: specific provision prevails over general rule
- Statutory Interpretation Methodology33 opinions · 2007–2026Interpreting statutory language and legislative intent
- Legislative Intent and Construction30 opinions · 1988–2026Interpreting statutory text versus legislative intent · Balancing plain text and legislative intent in statutory interpretation · Determining statutory meaning through plain language and legislative intent
- Mandatory vs. Discretionary Statutory Language25 opinions · 1994–2026Interpreting statutory language: may versus shall · Distinguishing statutory intent through context and purpose · Mandatory language creating obligation impervious to discretion
- Extrinsic Aids to Legislative Intent21 opinions · 1995–2026Determining legislative intent regarding common law application · Interpreting statutory time limits and legislative intent · Presuming legislative knowledge of common law
- Statutory Retroactivity and Application12 opinions · 1995–2025Enactment of section 122 in response to prior ruling · Determining legislative intent for retroactive statutory application · Applying statutory construction to retroactive application of law
- Statutory Interpretation and Meaning12 opinions · 2006–2024Interpreting statutory provisions to avoid rendering parts ineffective · Interpreting "local laws" under statutory ambiguity · Interpreting statutory language by reading in context
- Statutory Interpretation and Legislative History11 opinions · 1992–2026Interpreting undefined statutory language without legislative history · Interpreting statutory jurisdiction through legislative history · Interpreting statute language and legislative history
- Tax Fraud and Evasion Issues6 opinions · 2010–2023Determining illicit profit from untimely and inaccurate filings · Determining relevance of belated tax payment evidence · Determining specified liability losses for tax refund purposes
- Statutory Interpretation of Estate and Family Law6 opinions · 2008–2017Interpreting wrongful death statute's relationship to common law · Interpreting statutory provisions regarding estate administration · Interpreting heir status and crematory liability under state statute
- Statutory Time Limits and Deadlines5 opinions · 2008–2014Determining jurisdictional versus claims-processing nature of statutory deadlines · Interpreting statute's trigger for removal time limit
- Record Sealing and Expungement Rights5 opinions · 1984–2009Courts' authority to order expungement of arrest records · Weighing public interest against individual rights for record expungement · Habeas court power to order expungement and reprosecution
- Analyzing statutory authority and inherent equitable power for expungement · Scope and limitations of expungement of criminal records · Expunction proceeding as a civil matter under criminal procedure
- Determining statute's temporal reach and retroactivity · Applying retroactive effect of new legal rules · Presumption against retroactive legislation and fairness
- Court authority over public defender case assignments
- Assessing standing to seek judicial interpretation of tax statute · Interpreting statutory limitations on tax assessment rights
- Determining IRS notice requirements for deficiency assessment · Interpreting IRS regulations and mandamus jurisdiction · No detriment when paying legitimately owed taxes
- Determining applicability of annexation statutes to municipalities · Legislative intent and scope of the housing act · Validating pre-statute easements and defining easement use
- Denying license renewal without due process · Analyzing rational basis for driving privilege restrictions
- Language-based classifications not warranting strict scrutiny · Interpreting related documents against plain language
- Defining fair market value in real estate transactions · Reviewing administrative appraisal methodologies for dissenting stock
- Distinguishing willfulness between tax evasion felony and misdemeanor · Determining attorney misconduct for tax return failure · Defining willful intent for tax offenses under statutes
- Statutory authorization exempting public utilities from nuisance
- Interpreting "treatment" under customs regulations
- Determining if a tax provision is compensatory
- Historical view of sunlight as a private nuisance right
Counts are Virgin Islands courts’ opinions citing pages in each group (an opinion citing two issues counts in both).
How this is built: each issue is a set of opinion pages that later courts cite for the same proposition, grouped from what the citing courts wrote. Names are machine-written from those citations; read the cases before relying on them. Search case law