It seems that footnotes would often be "dicta" - judicial comments not directly relating to the case at issue, and therefore not form binding precedent. May be

It seems that footnotes would often be "dicta" - judicial comments not directly relating to the case at issue, and therefore not form binding precedent. May be influential, but not binding. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obiter_dictum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obiter_dictum