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Zant V. Stephens (1982)

 

Document 1

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 7th, 1983
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: April 11th, 1983
Action: May Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice states the intent to join the majority opinion later (e.g., may join majority; will probably join majority; could join majority; agree tentatively; inclined to join; close to joining; agrees generally; agree with most of opinion; in basic agreement; intend to join; am prepared to join; expect to join; expect to join part of majority opinion; join unless someone else dissents; will join majority opinion if no majority exists; join unless someone else persuades me
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 3

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 23rd, 1983
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 4

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 26th, 1983
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 5

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: April 28th, 1983
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 6

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 5th, 1983
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: None
On: May 23rd, 1983
Action: May Join Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice states the intent to join the majority opinion later (e.g., may join majority; will probably join majority; could join majority; agree tentatively; inclined to join; close to joining; agrees generally; agree with most of opinion; in basic agreement; intend to join; am prepared to join; expect to join; expect to join part of majority opinion; join unless someone else dissents; will join majority opinion if no majority exists; join unless someone else persuades me
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 8

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 23rd, 1983
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: Byron R. White
Copied: Conference
On: May 24th, 1983
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: Byron R. White
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 24th, 1983
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 11

From: Warren E. Burger
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 25th, 1983
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: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 27th, 1983
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 13

From: Byron R. White
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 10th, 1983
Action: May Write Concurring Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will likely) write a concurring opinion; this also applies to opinions that concur in part, concurrences in judgment, or concurrences at foot.

Document 14

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 10th, 1983
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: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: June 13th, 1983
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: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 14th, 1983
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 17

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 15th, 1983
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 18

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 16th, 1983
Action: Concur in Judgment in Part
This refers to an opinion that concurs in part with the judgment or result or that concurs in the judgment and concur in part

Document 19

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 17th, 1983
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 20

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 22nd, 1983
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

Document 21

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 22nd, 1983
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

Document 22

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 22nd, 1983
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