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Wood V. Georgia (1980)

 

Document 1

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: November 10th, 1980
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 2

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: November 11th, 1980
Action: Will Write Memorandum Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a memorandum opinion draft, including that a memorandum opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the memorandum opinion will be circulated

Document 3

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: November 12th, 1980
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 4

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: None
On: December 10th, 1980
Action: Memorandum Opinion
This refers to a memorandum opinion draft

Document 5

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 10th, 1980
Action: Memorandum Opinion
This refers to a memorandum opinion draft

Document 6

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: None
On: December 10th, 1980
Action: Cover Memo to Memorandum Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion (not assigned author)
Cover Memo to Memorandum Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion (not assigned author)

Document 7

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: December 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 8

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: December 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.
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 9

From: Byron R. White
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: December 11th, 1980
Action: May Write "Separate Opinion"
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will probably) write a "separate opinion"

Document 10

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: December 17th, 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 11

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: December 18th, 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: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 31st, 1980
Action: Memorandum Opinion
This refers to a memorandum opinion draft

Document 13

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 31st, 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 14

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 5th, 1981
Action: Memorandum Opinion
This refers to a memorandum opinion draft

Document 15

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: January 6th, 1981
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: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: January 7th, 1981
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: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 8th, 1981
Action: Will Write Memorandum Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a memorandum opinion draft, including that a memorandum opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the memorandum opinion will be circulated

Document 18

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 8th, 1981
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 19

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: January 9th, 1981
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 20

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: January 9th, 1981
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 21

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: January 9th, 1981
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 22

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 13th, 1981
Action: Concur in Part and Dissent in Part
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in part and dissents in part, including opinions that concur in judgment and dissent (or dissent in part), concur in judgment in part and dissent (or dissent in part), or dissent in one docket and concurs in another docket

Document 23

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 13th, 1981
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 24

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 14th, 1981
Action: Concur in Part and Dissent in Part
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in part and dissents in part, including opinions that concur in judgment and dissent (or dissent in part), concur in judgment in part and dissent (or dissent in part), or dissent in one docket and concurs in another docket

Document 25

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 14th, 1981
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 26

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 14th, 1981
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 27

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 16th, 1981
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 28

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 16th, 1981
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 29

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 16th, 1981
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 30

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 22nd, 1981
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 31

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 22nd, 1981
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 32

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 23rd, 1981
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 33

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 26th, 1981
Action: Concur in Part and Dissent in Part
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in part and dissents in part, including opinions that concur in judgment and dissent (or dissent in part), concur in judgment in part and dissent (or dissent in part), or dissent in one docket and concurs in another docket

Document 34

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 10th, 1981
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form