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Chaffin V. Stynchcombe (1972)

 

Document 1

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 17th, 1973
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 2

From: William O. Douglas
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: None
On: April 18th, 1973
Action: Dissent at Foot
This refers to a letter where a justice asks that a dissent (or a dissent in part) be noted at the foot of an opinion; it also includes at foot opinions that indicates the justice wants the Court to hear arguments and decide rather than dismiss or decide summarily

Document 3

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: April 19th, 1973
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: Thurgood Marshall
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: April 26th, 1973
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: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 30th, 1973
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 6

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: April 30th, 1973
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: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: April 30th, 1973
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: Lewis F. Powell
To: Byron R. White
Copied: None
On: April 30th, 1973
Action: Cover Memo to Majority Opinion or Per Curiam Opinion
This includes a cover memo to memorandum opinion if written by the assigned author; cover memo to changes to majority opinion
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 9

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 8th, 1973
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: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 11th, 1973
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 11

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 16th, 1973
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 12

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 16th, 1973
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 13

From: Thurgood Marshall
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: May 17th, 1973
Action: Dissenting Opinion
This refers to a dissenting opinion draft, including dissents from denial of certiorari if in opinion form

Document 14

From: William O. Douglas
To: Lewis F. Powell
Copied: Conference
On: May 17th, 1973
Action: Dissent at Foot
This refers to a letter where a justice asks that a dissent (or a dissent in part) be noted at the foot of an opinion; it also includes at foot opinions that indicates the justice wants the Court to hear arguments and decide rather than dismiss or decide summarily

Document 15

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: May 17th, 1973
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 16

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: June 6th, 1973
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