Case Summary

On May 24, 1923, Aurellio Coliginna submitted a petition for a writ of habeas corpus for the unlawful imprisonment of his 11-year-old daughter, Vincenzzina Coliginna. His petition alleged that, without informing him, his unnamed wife (who was also Vincenzzina Coliginna's mother) had eloped to Illinois two years ago with a man named Capizza and taken the child with her. He further alleged that the Acting Chief of Police and the Chief of Detectives of Omaha were illegally holding Vincenzzina Coliginna at the mother's request while refusing to allow him "care and custody and control" of the child. He also stated that the mother was unfit to have custody of the child because she was living unlawfully with Capizza. In turn, Vincenzzina's mother accused Aurellio of kidnapping his daughter from Joliet, Illinois. She said that he had lured both of them into a car, then thrown her out of the speeding car as they drove towards Lemont, Illinois. Judge Charles A. Goss issued an order on the same day commanding P. F. Dillon and Charles F. Van Deusen to show cause for the child's detention. The outcome of the petition and the fate of the child are unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody

Outcome

Unknown

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. 26: ca. 1923 - Jan. 1924, p. 77; Douglas County District Court, Omaha, NE, RG230: Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 7: Criminal Case Files, 1897-1920, Reel 113: 25-732 to 26-88, Apr. 16, 1923 - Jun. 4, 1923, No. 26-77

Source material(s)

Case File | Docket

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

• Douglas County District Court (Omaha, Nebraska)

State

• Nebraska

Tag(s)

• Children

People

• Cranny, J.D. (petitioner attorney)
• Moore, (petitioner attorney)
• Coliginna, Aurello (Aurellio Coliano, Aurelio Colanne) (petitioner)
• Coliginna, Vincenssina (Vincenzzina Coliano/Colanne) (bound party)
• Dillon, P.F. (respondent)
• Dillon, P.F. (responding party)
• Dillon, P.F. (holding party)
• Van Duesen, Charles H. (VanDeusen) (respondent)
• Van Duesen, Charles H. (VanDeusen) (responding party)
• Van Duesen, Charles H. (VanDeusen) (holding party)
• Goss, Charles A. (judge)
• Capizza, Carmella (interested party)

• Additional parties

  Agee, A. E. (Deputy Sheriff)

  Shotwell, A. V. (County Attorney)

  Smith, Robert (Clerk)

  Capizza neé Colanne, Carmella (Aurello's ex-wife)

  Endres, M. L. (Sheriff)

  Smith, Robert (Clerk)

  Steere, Asel Jr. (Deputy Clerk)

  Moore, J. O. (Notary Public)