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Ponte V. Real (1984)

 

Document 1

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 5th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: February 11th, 1985
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: Byron R. White
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: February 12th, 1985
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: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 14th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 5

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall, Harry A. Blackmun, John Paul Stevens
Copied: None
On: February 14th, 1985
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
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 6

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: February 21st, 1985
Action: Will Write Concurring Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a concurring opinion draft, including that a concurring opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the concurring opinion will be circulated; this may also apply to opinions that concur in part or concur in the judgment or result

Document 7

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: February 21st, 1985
Action: Await Concurrence
Justice awaits a concurring opinion, including an opinion that concurs in part or that concurs in judgment

Document 8

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: February 25th, 1985
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 9

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: March 1st, 1985
Action: Not Participating
These memos inform the Court whether a justice is "out" for a case; the memo may ask the opinion author to note the justice took no part in consideration of a case; memos may inform the Court that a justice is participating (e.g., not out; not recuse); memos may concern whether a justice should recuse himself or herself (e.g., may recuse self; have not decided whether to participate; do not think I should recuse); memos written by other justices about a colleague's recusal

Document 10

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: April 5th, 1985
Action: Await Concurrence
Justice awaits a concurring opinion, including an opinion that concurs in part or that concurs in judgment

Document 11

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 24th, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 12

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: April 25th, 1985
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: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 26th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 14

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 1st, 1985
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 15

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 10th, 1985
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 16

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 11th, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 17

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 13th, 1985
Action: Join Part of Majority Opinion
Memos where a justice joins part of a majority opinion or where a justice joins all but part "X" of the majority opinion

Document 18

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 13th, 1985
Action: Join Concurrence
Memos where a justice states that they join a concurring opinion, including joining a concurrence in part, joining a concurrence in judgment or result, or joining a concurrence at foot. The identity of the concurring opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 19

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: May 14th, 1985
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: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 15th, 1985
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 21

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 15th, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form