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Vance V. Universal Amusement Co. (1979)

 

Document 1

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: December 10th, 1979
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: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: December 10th, 1979
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 3

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 12th, 1979
Action: Majority Opinion Assignment
This may be an assignment of either the majority opinion or a memorandum opinion; memo may state that a justice has agreed to undertake the opinion of the Court; memo reassigns the case

Document 4

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 25th, 1980
Action: Per Curiam Opinion
This refers to a draft per curiam opinion

Document 5

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: January 28th, 1980
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 6

From: Potter Stewart
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: January 29th, 1980
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: Byron R. White
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: January 30th, 1980
Action: May Write Dissenting Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will likely) write a dissenting opinion (e.g., considering a dissent, expects to write dissent, will probably write dissent, may write dissent in part, inclined to dissent, shall likely be in dissent, may not write dissent, and hope not to write dissent)

Document 8

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: January 31st, 1980
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: Harry A. Blackmun
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: January 31st, 1980
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: Issue Signed Opinion
Justices expresses view that there is opinion should be signed; wants a majority opinion instead of a per curiam decision or an order; does not want summary disposition on the merits

Document 10

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 11th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 11

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Byron R. White
Copied: Conference
On: February 11th, 1980
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: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 12th, 1980
Action: Per Curiam Opinion
This refers to a draft per curiam opinion

Document 13

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 12th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 14

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: February 14th, 1980
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 15

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 14th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 16

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 19th, 1980
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 17

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: February 20th, 1980
Action: Endorse Another Justice's Suggestion
Memos where a justice states agreement with another justice's suggestion to the majority opinion author (e.g., I am about where Justice X is, agree with Justice X's letter to you, I have no problem with Justice X's suggestion, agree with another justice's comment, is Justice X's suggestion ok with you). The identity of the justice whose suggestion is endorsed is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 18

From: Byron R. White
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: February 20th, 1980
Action: Announcements of Opinion
This includes memos about the timing of a decision announcement (e.g., can we hold this case for a week; opinion should be handed down tomorrow; opinion not ready for case to come down; take as much time as you need); memos about the pace of opinion writing (e.g., a justice’s delay in a case or apologizing for a delay or holding up another justice); memo requesting that a justice make an announcement regarding an opinion

Document 19

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: February 21st, 1980
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 20

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 4th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 21

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: March 4th, 1980
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 22

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: March 4th, 1980
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: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 7th, 1980
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: Byron R. White
Copied: Conference
On: March 10th, 1980
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 25

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 12th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 26

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: March 13th, 1980
Action: Withdraw Dissenting Opinion
This includes withdrawn dissents in part and dissents at foot

Document 27

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: None
On: March 13th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 28

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 14th, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 29

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 20th, 1980
Action: Proposes Disposition of Held Cases
Memo lists cases held for an opinion and gives cert votes or votes on the merits for the held cases; justice may state that held cases should be discussed at conference