Show / Hide Files

Bennett V. New Jersey (1984)

 

Document 1

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 14th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Conference
On: February 15th, 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: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Conference
On: February 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.

Document 4

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Conference
On: February 19th, 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: Thurgood Marshall
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Conference
On: February 19th, 1985
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 6

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 27th, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 7

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 28th, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 8

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: February 28th, 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 9

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 28th, 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 10

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
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 11

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Conference
On: March 4th, 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 12

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: Conference
On: March 4th, 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 13

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 5th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 14

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 7th, 1985
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 15

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 7th, 1985
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form