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Steffel V. Thompson (1973)

 

Document 1

From: William O. Douglas
To: Warren E. Burger
Copied: Conference
On: November 21st, 1973
Action: Majority Opinion Assignment
This may be an assignment of either the majority opinion or a memorandum opinion; memo may state that a justice has agreed to undertake the opinion of the Court; memo reassigns the case

Document 2

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 9th, 1974
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 3

From: William O. Douglas
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: January 9th, 1974
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: Byron R. White
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: January 9th, 1974
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: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: January 10th, 1974
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: Potter Stewart
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: January 14th, 1974
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.
Action: May Write Concurring Opinion
A memo where a justice states that he or she may (or will likely) write a concurring opinion; this also applies to opinions that concur in part, concurrences in judgment, or concurrences at foot.

Document 7

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 18th, 1974
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 8

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: None
On: January 19th, 1974
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
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 9

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 22nd, 1974
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 10

From: Lewis F. Powell
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: January 23rd, 1974
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 11

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: January 23rd, 1974
Action: Majority Opinion
This refers to a majority opinion draft

Document 12

From: Harry A. Blackmun
To: William J. Brennan, Jr.
Copied: Conference
On: January 24th, 1974
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.
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 13

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Harry A. Blackmun
Copied: None
On: January 25th, 1974
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: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 7th, 1974
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 15

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: None
On: February 14th, 1974
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 16

From: William H. Rehnquist
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 15th, 1974
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 17

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: February 19th, 1974
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 18

From: Warren E. Burger
To: Potter Stewart
Copied: Conference
On: February 22nd, 1974
Action: Join Concurrence
Memos where a justice states that they join a concurring opinion, including joining a concurrence in part, joining a concurrence in judgment or result, or joining a concurrence at foot. The identity of the concurring opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 19

From: Warren E. Burger
To: William H. Rehnquist
Copied: Conference
On: February 22nd, 1974
Action: Join Concurrence
Memos where a justice states that they join a concurring opinion, including joining a concurrence in part, joining a concurrence in judgment or result, or joining a concurrence at foot. The identity of the concurring opinion author who receives the join is located in the JOINED variable.

Document 20

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 14th, 1974
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 21

From: Byron R. White
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 15th, 1974
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 22

From: Potter Stewart
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: March 15th, 1974
Action: Concurring Opinion
This refers to a concurring opinion draft

Document 23

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 5th, 1974
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

Document 24

From: William J. Brennan, Jr.
To: Conference
Copied: None
On: April 16th, 1974
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