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Secretary Of State Of Maryland V. Joseph H Munson Co. (1983)

 

Document 1

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: November 11th, 1983
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
Action: Memo Regarding Meeting Time, Place or Agenda
Memo may suggest that the justice talk or discuss an issue at conference; memo may maintain that no further conference discussion is needed; memo may state that a justice will be away

Document 2

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: November 11th, 1983
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 3

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Lewis F. Powell, William H. Rehnquist
On: November 14th, 1983
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 4

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Byron R. White
Copied: None
On: May 3rd, 1984
Action: Cover Memo to Majority Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion
This includes a cover memo to memorandum opinion if written by the assigned author; cover memo to changes to majority opinion

Document 5

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 3rd, 1984
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: May 4th, 1984
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: Lewis F. Powell
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: May 4th, 1984
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
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: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: May 4th, 1984
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 9

From: Byron R. White
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: None
On: May 4th, 1984
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

Document 10

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: May 4th, 1984
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: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 4th, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 12

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall
Copied: None
On: May 7th, 1984
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
Action: Will Circulate Majority Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a majority opinion draft, including that an opinion will be out soon or that the author will revise majority opinion without stating the changes

Document 13

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 8th, 1984
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 14

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Byron R. White
Copied: None
On: May 8th, 1984
Action: Cover Memo to Majority Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion
This includes a cover memo to memorandum opinion if written by the assigned author; cover memo to changes to majority opinion
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 15

From: Byron R. White
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: May 8th, 1984
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: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 9th, 1984
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 17

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 10th, 1984
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: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 11th, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 19

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 12th, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 20

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 15th, 1984
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 21

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 16th, 1984
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: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 16th, 1984
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: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 17th, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 24

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: None
On: May 29th, 1984
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 25

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: None
On: May 30th, 1984
Action: Attached Material Relevant to a Case
This may include memos about maps or pictures that will be incorporated in opinion; cover memo to circulation of some relevant non-case material for an opinion (e.g., newspaper article, related lower court opinion); memos may mention extra-court material that might be relevant (e.g., congressional hearings, a statute, other opinions that are somehow (perhaps tangentially) related to case at hand); circulation of clerk’s memo about case

Document 26

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 31st, 1984
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 27

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 8th, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion Author's Response
May be a response to a suggestion, majority opinion, or another separate opinion; it may say the author made changes and see the attached opinion; it may indicate the opinion has been changed although not prompted by someone else

Document 28

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 11th, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 29

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 12th, 1984
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 30

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 18th, 1984
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 31

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 18th, 1984
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 32

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: June 18th, 1984
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 33

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: June 21st, 1984
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 34

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 21st, 1984
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form