Case Summary

On February 11, 1919, Crystal Gilson was found guilty in an Omaha court of the charge of unlawful sale of intoxicating liquor, and sentenced to be imprisoned in the County jail for 60 days, and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution or stay imprisoned until the costs were paid. On that day, Charles E. Foster, the police magistrate of the city of Omaha, sent a letter to Omaha Sheriff Michael L. Clark and ordered him to detain her. Three days later, on February 14, Gilson filed for a writ of habeas corpus. Her writ was allowed, then on January 26, 1920, the petition was dismissed for want of prosecution of cost of release. Gilson's fate is unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

• Unlawful sale of intoxicating liquor

Sites of significance

• Douglas County Jail (Omaha, Nebraska)

Outcome

Writ dismissed

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

Douglas County District Court, Omaha, NE, RG230: Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series: Criminal Appearance Docket Books, Vol. 20: ca.1917-1919, p. 782; Douglas County District Court, Omaha, NE, RG230: Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 7: Criminal Case Files, 1897-1920, Reel 82: Doc. 20-703 to 21-35, Mar. 1, 1919 - Mar. 3, 1919, No. 20-782

Source material(s)

Case File | Docket

Length of case file

Between 6 and 10 pages

Repository(s)

• Douglas County District Court (Omaha, Nebraska)

State

• Nebraska

People

• Gilson, Crystal (petitioner)
• Gilson, Crystal (bound party)
• Clark, Michael L. (respondent)
• Clark, Michael L. (holding party)
• Foster, Charles E. (authority ordering detention)
• McFarland, John M. (petitioner attorney)
• Redick, William A. (judge)
• Shotwell, Abel V. (respondent attorney)

• Additional parties

  Smith, Robert (clerk)

  McDonald, H. A. (deputy)