The collection is comprised entirely of legal papers, transcripts, legal memoranda, research material, and correspondence created or gathered for use by the State of Wisconsin in its lawsuit. Although much of the collection contains items available elsewhere in the public record, it is retained here to complete the record of the trial from the point of view of the plaintiff in the case. The inclusion of documentation compiled by Willard Stafford and members of his law firm illustrates the legal strategies devised by the attorneys for the State. These documents, as well as those materials never entered into the official record, such as correspondence, memoranda created within the law firm, and exhibits not presented at trial, are available nowhere else or only in the records of the defendants.
The papers have been arranged approximately in the order they were created during the lawsuit and preparations for trial, with the exception of correspondence written throughout the proceedings, which is filed first. Following correspondence are the pleadings, with an index, an attorney's timetable of work in the case, and the preliminary legal motions, orders, briefs, and transcripts regarding the defendants' attempt to remove the case from the state circuit court to the federal district court. After remand to state circuit court, the parties made motions for dismissal of the case and for various orders and injunctions, filed briefs and memoranda of law, and prepared to take depositions from witnesses. At this point, the plaintiff's attorneys began to collect reference material for use in formulating questions to be asked at depositions and at trial, and in drafting trial briefs. Among the reference material collected are statistics, statements, and reports pertaining to the impact of major league baseball on the city and county of Milwaukee and the effects of the departure of the Braves to Atlanta; other financial information, a few yearbooks, newspaper clippings, playing schedules, and information about Milwaukee County Stadium.
The attorneys also collected quantities of records of all types for possible use as exhibits to prove points at trial. The collection includes an index to exhibits used, exhibits, and folders of material apparently considered for use as exhibits, but never submitted at trial. All of the exhibit material has been photocopied from originals located elsewhere, including the files of the defendants. It is unclear precisely for what reason the series of files labeled “F” and “G” were created. Also in this portion of the collection are attorney's memoranda, drafted within the law firm for the use of the attorneys.
In preparation for the actual trial, the attorneys drafted an opening statement to the court, and planned for the oral argument; these are illustrated in a file of drafts and notes. The proceedings of the trial are well illustrated in the transcript, dating from March 1 to April 1, 1966, supplemented by the plaintiff's trial brief and appendix of evidence, April 6, 1966. The judge's decision is fully explained in his memorandum decision of April 13, 1966, following which there are a few motions concerning the implementation of his ruling or requests to prevent implementation.
The records of the appellate proceedings are somewhat similar, although much abbreviated. For the appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, there are appellants' (State of Wisconsin) and respondents' (Milwaukee Braves and other defendants) briefs, and the Court's majority and dissenting opinions. Likewise, from proceedings held in United States Supreme Court, there is correspondence and a memorandum requesting permission to apply for a writ of certiorari, cases and notes collected by the appellant State of Wisconsin for its brief to the Court, drafts and a printed copy of the respondents' petition requesting the writ, a brief in opposition to the writ, and a petition to the Court seeking rehearing of the Court's order denying the writ.
