I scanned some pages from the L Ed to show you where to find the review decision (RD) and merits citations. Each image was originally on an 8.5 x 11 page, so the images will not fit neatly on the computer screen. Even so, it should be relatively easy to move around the image to see the important items. On the images I've also written in a few comments to point to certain items that will be explained below.
The first image contains parts of three pages from volume 4 of the L Ed 2d that relate to 59-0164. The section in the upper left is a portion of the index. Notice that there are two entries for Levine v. United States. You may not be able to tell from the image, but the top entry is in boldface, which indicates that it is to an opinion of the Court. Notice also that the second entry contains two page numbers. You need to check all three pages. At a minimum, you need to be sure that all three cases involve 59-0164 and not other persons named Levine or even the same person in a different case.
The portion of the image in the upper right corner is what you would find on 4 L Ed 2d 101. This is the Court's review decision. Notice that the review decision citations appear immediately after the name of the case. (Again, this is a change in format from the Spector Motor Service example.) From this review decision you can also double-check the RD date (10/19/59) and the LC Cite (267 F2d 335).
The bottom portion of the image contains the first part of the Court's merits decision. Again, notice that all three merits cites appear immediately after the case name. You will also see a second set of cites after the "reh den," which stands for rehearing denied. Remember that I don't care about rehearings that are denied, so you can ignore these cites.
The second image is from one page of volume 5 of L Ed 2d. I mainly wanted to show you 60-0382, which is in the middle of the left column. This is an example of when the Court grants review and disposes of the case in one short per curiam. For such cases, the review decision and merits citations will be the same for each reporter and you would enter "Sup Ct vacated per curiam, no separate review decision citations" in Notes. Notice also that this entry indicates that "Douglas and Stewart would deny cert" (which is the entry that would also go in Notes).
Of the other cases on this page, notice that 60-0542M was a Rule 60 dismissal. Again, for coding Review Decision this would be a "7" because Rule 60 means the parties reached an agreement and asked to have the case dismissed.
In the right column, 60-0568 is a case that came to the Court on appeal. The language you see here is typical for when the Court denies review to a case on appeal (as opposed to a petition for a writ of certiorari). Also notice for this case that there are three citations to the lower court opinion. Of these three, the one to NE2d should go in LC Cite, the one to NYS2d should go in Alternate LC Cite, and the one to NY2d should go in Notes.
The third image contains portions of four pages from volumes 5 and 6 of L Ed 2d. Through the 1959 Term, each volume of the L Ed contained an entire term's cases. Beginning with the 1960 Term, the cases were divided into two volumes (and now it's up to three). As a practical matter, those of you working on, for example, the 1958 Term will mainly use volume 3 and those working on the 1959 Term will use volume 4. If a case is held over, you will have to go to the next volume. Those working on the 1960 Term will use volumes 5 and 6 and those working on the 1961 Term will be using volumes 7 and 8, and so on. For the terms contained in two L Ed volumes, the RD decision may appear in either of the two volumes. If the RD appears in the earlier volume, the merits decision may also appear in either of the two volumes. If either the RD or merits decision is in an even later volume, then your case will have been held over and should have a new docket number.
The upper portion of the left column of this image contains a portion of the index from volume 5. Notice that there is only one page listed for Verret v. Oil Transport Co. (60-0388). The middle portion of this column contains the RD from page 101. Again, notice that the RD cites appear immediately after the case name. Given that review was granted and there was only one entry in the index, you have to check the index to volume 6 to find the merits decision. (If it's not in volume 6, then check 7, 8, etc.-- if review is granted there has to be a merits decision some where.) The bottom portion of this column is a portion of the index to volume 6. Again, there is one entry for Verret and on that page we find the Court's decision on the merits. This decision is contained on the right column of the image. This is a very short per curiam and is contained on a single page. Even so, it is contained in Spaeth's database and you would need to compare his codings with yours.
