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Smith V. Florida (1971)

 

Case Details

Docket Number: 70-5055
Case Term: 1971

Justices Involved

Justice William J. Brennan, Jr.
Justice Warren E. Burger
Justice William O. Douglas
Justice Thurgood Marshall
Justice Byron R. White
Justice Harry A. Blackmun

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Download Documents PDF

Document 1

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: None
On: December 17th, 1971
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 2

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: December 20th, 1971
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 O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 3rd, 1972
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 4

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 3rd, 1972
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 5

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 31st, 1972
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: William O. Douglas
Copied: Conference
On: January 31st, 1972
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: Thurgood Marshall
To: William O. Douglas
Copied: Conference
On: February 1st, 1972
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 8

From: William O. Douglas
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 18th, 1972
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 9

From: Byron R. White
To: William O. Douglas
Copied: Conference
On: February 18th, 1972
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 10

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William O. Douglas
Copied: Conference
On: February 21st, 1972
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.