A case precedent only holds for the precise issue before it

Evidence

What was before the Supreme Court in Otter Tail is not the issue presently before us: whether determination of the relevant geographic market was for the court or for the jury. Although in Otter Tail the relevant geographic market coincided with the aggregate of the towns in the defendant’s service area, there is in that opinion no indication that its definition was achieved as a matter of law. — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1237

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the doctrine of ratio decidendi versus obiter dictum and how precedent should be confined to the issues actually decided. — connects to: Legal duty requires specific characteristics present in all precedent cases — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 679; Courts must decide only the case before them, not hypothetical future cases — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1008; A case is precedent only when material facts match exactly — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1299 (+7 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1237

Library Connections

• A legal principle emerges from a long line of decisions. #complicates (0.60) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 134
• Elevating a single case holding to a principle causes improper legal breadth. #complicates (0.60) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 136

Broader Connections

• A case is precedent only when material facts match exactly #expands (0.90) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1299
• A judicial precedent attaches specific legal consequences to detailed case facts. #expands (0.80) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 131
• Materiality of a new circumstance determines whether precedent extends to analogous facts. #expands (0.75) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1292
• Precedent constrains outcomes while analogy merely supports arguments #corroborates (0.70) — Frederick Schauer, Thinking Like a Lawyer, 162
• Stated precedent rules often fail to determine later case outcomes #qualifies (0.55) — Burton, Steven J, An Introduction to Law and Legal…, 216