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Adamo Wrecking Co. V. United States (1977)

 

Document 1

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Potter Stewart, Harry A. Blackmun
On: October 17th, 1977
Action: Dissent Opinion Assignment
The memo may ask another justice to write a dissent; a justice may indicate that the dissent will not be assigned right now; memo responding to a dissent assignment (but not accepting assignment, which would be Code 204)

Document 2

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Potter Stewart, Harry A. Blackmun
On: October 17th, 1977
Action: Dissent Opinion Assignment
The memo may ask another justice to write a dissent; a justice may indicate that the dissent will not be assigned right now; memo responding to a dissent assignment (but not accepting assignment, which would be Code 204)

Document 3

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Warren E. Burger, Byron R. White, Thurgood Marshall
Copied: None
On: October 31st, 1977
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 4

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Byron R. White, Thurgood Marshall, Lewis F. Powell
On: October 31st, 1977
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

Document 5

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Warren E. Burger, Thurgood Marshall, Lewis F. Powell
On: October 31st, 1977
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

Document 6

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Warren E. Burger, Byron R. White, Thurgood Marshall
On: October 31st, 1977
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

Document 7

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Warren E. Burger, Byron R. White, Lewis F. Powell
On: November 1st, 1977
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

Document 8

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: November 3rd, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 9

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: November 7th, 1977
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 10

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: November 7th, 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 11

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: November 8th, 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 12

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: November 11th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 13

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Byron R. White
On: November 16th, 1977
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 14

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: None
On: November 16th, 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.
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 15

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: November 23rd, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 16

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: November 28th, 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 17

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: November 29th, 1977
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 18

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 1st, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 19

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 6th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 20

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 7th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 21

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 9th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 22

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: December 9th, 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 23

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 9th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 24

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 9th, 1977
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 25

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 12th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 26

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: December 13th, 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 27

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 14th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 28

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 20th, 1977
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 29

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: December 22nd, 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.