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Wyman V. James (1970)

 

Document 1

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 4th, 1970
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: None
On: December 7th, 1970
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 3

From: John M. Harlan
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: December 7th, 1970
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 O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 7th, 1970
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 5

From: Potter Stewart
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: December 7th, 1970
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 6

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 10th, 1970
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 7

From: Hugo. L. Black
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: None
On: December 15th, 1970
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 8

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 18th, 1970
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 9

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Hugo. L. Black
Copied: None
On: December 21st, 1970
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: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Thurgood Marshall
Copied: Conference
On: December 22nd, 1970
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 11

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 22nd, 1970
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 12

From: Hugo. L. Black
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: January 4th, 1971
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: Byron R. White
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: January 5th, 1971
Action: Concur at Foot
This refers to a letter where a justice asks that a concurrence (or a concurrence in part) be noted at the foot of an opinion
Action: Will Not Write Concurring Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she will not write a concurring opinion or an opinion that concurs in part

Document 14

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 5th, 1971
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 15

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 6th, 1971
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 16

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: Conference
On: January 7th, 1971
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 17

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 11th, 1971
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 18

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 11th, 1971
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form