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Beck V. Alabama (1979)

 

Document 1

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: None provided.
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 2

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: September 28th, 1979
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 3

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: October 1st, 1979
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 4

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: October 1st, 1979
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 5

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: October 1st, 1979
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 6

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: October 1st, 1979
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 7

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: October 4th, 1979
Action: Memos about Cert Votes
A justice's cert vote (grant, deny, or note probable jurisdiction, join three); suggest they grant cert for specific issue; discussion of which questions cert grant should be limited to; adhere to cert vote; memo about cert petition (e.g., listing it on the conference list (special order list)); case should be relisted; make suggestions to proposed questions in case; any memo about listing or relisting a case

Document 8

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 2nd, 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: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 2nd, 1980
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 10

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 2nd, 1980
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 11

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 3rd, 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 12

From: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 3rd, 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 13

From: Potter Stewart
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 4th, 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 14

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 4th, 1980
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 15

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 6th, 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 16

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 10th, 1980
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 17

From: Warren E. Burger
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 11th, 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 18

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 17th, 1980
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 19

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 17th, 1980
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 20

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 18th, 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 21

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 18th, 1980
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 22

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 18th, 1980
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 23

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 23rd, 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