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Heckler V. Chaney (1984)

 

Document 1

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 6th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: John Paul Stevens
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: January 8th, 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: January 9th, 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: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: January 10th, 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 5

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 11th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: January 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 7

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 14th, 1985
Action: Cover Memo to Application for Order
This indicates a memo that informs the Court that an application (e.g., stay, injunction) will be circulated soon; memo about an order

Document 8

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 15th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 9

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: January 16th, 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.
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 10

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 18th, 1985
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 11

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: January 18th, 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.
Action: Will Write Dissenting Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will circulate a dissenting opinion draft, including that a dissenting opinion will be out soon or that a revised draft of the dissenting opinion will be circulated; this also applies to statements responding to dissent assignments like will be glad to write dissent, self-assignment of dissent (e.g., we are in dissent and I will write it), or requesting permission to write dissent (e.g., is it ok if I write a dissent)

Document 12

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 24th, 1985
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 13

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: February 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 14

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 12th, 1985
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 15

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 15th, 1985
Action: Concur in Judgment
This refers to an opinion draft that concurs in the judgment or result

Document 16

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: March 15th, 1985
Action: Announcements of Opinion
This includes memos about the timing of a decision announcement (e.g., can we hold this case for a week; opinion should be handed down tomorrow; opinion not ready for case to come down; take as much time as you need); memos about the pace of opinion writing (e.g., a justice’s delay in a case or apologizing for a delay or holding up another justice); memo requesting that a justice make an announcement regarding an opinion

Document 17

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 28th, 1985
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