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Williams V. United States (1981)

 

Document 1

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: May 6th, 1982
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 2

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 9th, 1982
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 3

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 9th, 1982
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 4

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 9th, 1982
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: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 9th, 1982
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 10th, 1982
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part
Action: Will Not Write Dissent
A memo where a justice states that he or she will not write a dissenting opinion or an opinion that dissents in part

Document 7

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: None
On: June 11th, 1982
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 8

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 14th, 1982
Action: Join Majority If...
Justice sends memo to majority opinion author that states that the conditions under which the justice can or will not join the majority opinion; this includes memos with language like will join if..., will join the majority opinion if author makes changes suggested by another justice, or will join part of majority opinion if...; these memos may also state that a justice cannot join majority opinion if..., or could not join an opinion with a particular point, will withdraw join if...

Document 9

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: None
On: June 15th, 1982
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 10

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: None
On: June 15th, 1982
Action: Change is Acceptable
Memo indicating that a change to majority opinion is acceptable to a justice (e.g., suggested change is ok with me; like changes in majority opinion).
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: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 16th, 1982
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 12

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 16th, 1982
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 13

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 17th, 1982
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 21st, 1982
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 15

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Byron R. White
Copied: Conference
On: June 22nd, 1982
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 16

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: June 22nd, 1982
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 17

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: June 22nd, 1982
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 18

From: Byron R. White
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: June 22nd, 1982
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 19

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 22nd, 1982
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 20

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 22nd, 1982
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 21

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 24th, 1982
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 22

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 24th, 1982
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 23

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 28th, 1982
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