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American Motorists Insurance Co. V. Starnes (1975)

 

Document 1

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: March 5th, 1976
Action: Suggestion before Majority Opinion Circulated
Justice makes a suggestion or lays out position in the case before the majority opinion is circulated; discussion of issues before an opinion has been drafted; memo laying out other justice's position or describing how other justices’ have voted so far in the case; lays out position without directing it at a circulating opinion
Action: Propose Disposition in Case (Vote in a Case)
DIG (dismiss cert as improvidently granted); want to reach merits instead of DIG; would not DIG; affirm; reverse; remand; vacate; moot; court lacks jurisdiction; conference vote; withhold vote for now; defer vote; adhere to conference vote; initial vote in case; change conference vote; memo asking how others' vote on disposition

Document 2

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 23rd, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 3

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: April 26th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 4

From: Potter Stewart
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: April 26th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 5

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: None
On: April 26th, 1976
Action: Cover Memo to Separate Opinion
This indicates a cover memo to any separate opinion, including concurring, dissenting, or any other type of separate opinion

Document 6

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: April 27th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 7

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: April 27th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 8

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: None
On: April 27th, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion Author's Response
May be response to a suggestion, reservation, or a separate opinion; may also say that author will respond to another opinion; may state majority opinion author's change to opinion that was not prompted by another justice; may indicate that the opinion is different from the conference discussion; may be a circulation of a portion of the opinion (a footnote, multiple pages without circulating the whole opinion); may be a suggestion from the majority opinion author regarding several options for changing majority opinion; may be a suggestion from the author for a change that could be made to opinion

Document 9

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 28th, 1976
Action: Will Write "Separate Opinion"
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a "separate opinion" draft, including that a "separate opinion" will be out soon or that a revised draft of the "separate opinion" will be circulated

Document 10

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: April 28th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 11

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: None
On: April 29th, 1976
Action: Will Write "Separate Opinion"
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a "separate opinion" draft, including that a "separate opinion" will be out soon or that a revised draft of the "separate opinion" will be circulated

Document 12

From: Byron R. White
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: April 29th, 1976
Action: Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins the majority opinion includes please join me; I agree; I am still with you; I acquiesce; I will go along; I dissent but will be silent; graveyard join or dissent. This code includes join of memorandum opinions if it is written by the assigned author, orders if it disposes of case, decrees, per curiam opinions. It also includes statements that the justice joins, but subject to what others might write.

Document 13

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 30th, 1976
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 14

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 3rd, 1976
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 15

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: May 5th, 1976
Action: Join Concurrence
Memos where a justice states that they join a concurring opinion, including joining a concurrence in part, joining a concurrence in judgment or result, or joining a concurrence at foot. The identity of the concurring opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 16

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 6th, 1976
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result