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Bowen V. American Hospital Association (1985)

 

Document 1

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: November 25th, 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 2

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: None
On: January 20th, 1986
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
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

Document 3

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Byron R. White, Sanda Day O'Connor
Copied: None
On: January 27th, 1986
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: Byron R. White
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Sanda Day O'Connor
On: January 27th, 1986
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 5

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 12th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: March 13th, 1986
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 7

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: March 14th, 1986
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 8

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: March 20th, 1986
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: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: March 24th, 1986
Action: Await Dissent
Justice indicates that he or she awaits a dissenting opinion, including opinions that dissent in part

Document 10

From: Byron R. White
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: March 31st, 1986
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 11

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 7th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 12

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 8th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 13

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 8th, 1986
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 14

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 8th, 1986
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 15

From: Sanda Day O'Connor
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 8th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 16

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Byron R. White
Copied: Conference
On: May 9th, 1986
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 17

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 9th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 18

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 14th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 19

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 22nd, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 20

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 27th, 1986
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 21

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: May 27th, 1986
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 22

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 27th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 23

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 3rd, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 24

From: Warren E. Burger
To: John Paul Stevens
Copied: Conference
On: June 5th, 1986
Action: Join Judgment of Court
Memos where a justice states that they join the judgment or result of the Court or where they join part of the judgment

Document 25

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 6th, 1986
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 26

From: John Paul Stevens
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 6th, 1986
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft