Show / Hide Files

Morris V. Gressette (1976)

 

Document 1

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Lewis F. Powell
On: May 5th, 1977
Action: Memo About Opinion Assignment
This excludes memos that assign the opinion (see Code 606), but includes memos where a justice expresses the view that a case should be reassigned or a response to a majority opinion assignment; justice may request that majority opinion not be assigned to that justice; a justice may question why the opinion was not assigned; a justice (perhaps the Chief Justice) may tell a justice to assign the opinion; a memo may discuss not assigning the opinion to any justice

Document 2

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 25th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 3

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 26th, 1977
Action: Will Write Dissenting Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a dissenting opinion draft, including that a dissenting opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the dissenting opinion will be circulated; this also applies to statements responding to dissent assignments like will be glad to write dissent, self-assignment of dissent (e.g., we are in dissent and I will write it), or requesting permission to write dissent (e.g., is it ok if I write a dissent)

Document 4

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 26th, 1977
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: William H. Rehnquist
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 26th, 1977
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 6

From: Potter Stewart
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 26th, 1977
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: John Paul Stevens
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: None
On: May 26th, 1977
Action: Suggestion to Majority Opinion
This includes memo with broad statements including that a justice cannot join the opinion, cannot join a part of the opinion, does not agree with the opinion, or has continuing doubts with the opinion; memos that indicate that the author's change is not enough; memos that make suggestions for specific changes to majority opinion or that express reservations about some aspect of the majority opinion; this code is also given for suggestions to memorandum opinions by an assigned author

Document 8

From: Byron R. White
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 31st, 1977
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 9

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 6th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 10

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 7th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 11

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: June 8th, 1977
Action: Join Dissent
Memos where a justice states that they join a dissenting opinion, including joining the dissent in part, joining a dissent from denial of cert, or joining a dissent at foot. The identity of the dissenting opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 12

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 9th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 13

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: June 9th, 1977
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 14

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 10th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 15

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 14th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 16

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 17th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft