Yesterday, we began reviewing the Justice-by-Justice data for majority opinions in civil cases, beginning with the total number of majorities written each year. Today, we’re looking at the average length of each Justice’s majority opinions in civil cases.
In 1990, Justice Stamos averaged 25.8 pages per majority opinion, while Chief Justice Moran averaged 10.4 pages. In 1991, Justice Cunningham averaged 23.75 pages per majority, while Justice Heiple averaged 5.24 pages. In 1992, Justice Freeman averaged 22 pages, while Justice Heiple averaged 9.7 pages. In 1993, Justice Nickels averaged 23.75 pages; Chief Justice Miller averaged 11.67 pages. In 1994, Justice McMorrow averaged 18.36 pages per majority opinion, while Justice Heiple was the shortest at 7.92 pages. In 1995, Chief Justice Bilandic averaged 17.11 pages (we’re omitting for these purposes a single per curiam opinion of 34 pages), and Justice Miller wrote the shortest majorities at 13.5 pages. In 1996, Justice Freeman wrote the longest opinions at 25.33 pages, while Justices Harrison and Heiple tied at 13.22 pages. In 1997, Justice McMorrow wrote the longest opinions at 22.5 pages, while Justice Heiple averaged 7.18 pages.
In 1998, Justice McMorrow averaged the longest majority opinions in civil cases at 16.8 pages, while Justice Heiple averaged 7.27 pages. In 1999, Justice Bilandic’s majorities averaged 20.13 pages to Justice Harrison at 6.75 pages. In 2000, Justice McMorrow averaged 21.4 pages. Justice Heiple averaged 6 pages. In 2001, Justice McMorrow averaged 19.27 pages. Justice Miller averaged 9.67 pages. In 2002, Chief Justice Freeman’s majorities averaged 19.57 pages, while Justice Harrison’s averaged 10.25. In 2003, Justice McMorrow averaged 20.86 pages and Justice Garman averaged 11 pages. In 2004, the longest majorities were Justice Garman’s at 21.13 pages. Justice Rarick’s were the shortest at 12.22 pages.
In 2005, Chief Justice McMorrow averaged the longest majority opinions in civil cases at 30.29 pages. Justice Fitzgerald wrote the shortest opinions at 14.75 pages. In 2006, Justice Karmeier averaged 28.7 page majorities, while Justice Kilbride averaged 14.5 pages. In 2007, Chief Justice Thomas averaged 23.75 pages, while Justice Burke averaged 16.33 pages. In 2008, Justice Fitzgerald averaged the longest majority opinions in civil cases at 19.8 pages. Justice Burke averaged 13 pages. In 2009, Justice Thomas averaged 28 pages. Justice Karmeier averaged 12.43 pages. In 2010, Justice Garman averaged 21.33 pages to 12.17 for Justice Burke. In 2011, Justice Garman averaged 15.83 page majority opinions, while Chief Justice Kilbride averaged nine pages.
In 2012, Justice Theis wrote the longest majorities at 15 pages, while Justice Freeman averaged 8.43. In 2013, Chief Justice Kilbride average 15 pages. Justice Freeman averaged 8. In 2014, Justice Thomas averaged 11.6 pages per majority opinion. Justice Karmeier averaged 7 pages. In 2015, Justice Karmeier wrote the longest majorities at 12.55 pages, while Justice Theis averaged 8.57 pages. In 2016, Justice Freeman averaged 16 pages. Justice Burke averaged 8.67 pages. In 2017, Chief Justice Karmeier averaged 19.25 pages. Justice Burke averaged 10.83 pages. Last year, Justice Freeman averaged twenty pages per majority. Chief Justice Karmeier averaged 13 pages per majority.
Join us back here next Tuesday as we begin examining the Court’s criminal opinions.
Image courtesy of Flickr by USFWS Midwest Region & Sarah Morgan (no changes).