Case Summary

In March 1924, the Multnomah County Court of Domestic Relations committed seventeen-year-old Ferne Hills to the State Industrial School for Girls for "stealing" and other "immoral conduct." That August, her parents, Marvin and Myrtle Hills, petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus on her behalf, which was granted. After hearing the evidence. Ferne was remanded to the custody of the school superintendent. The Hills appealed the decision to the state supreme court, which affirmed the decision of the lower court.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Institutional

Petition subtype(s)

• Juvenile detention

Sites of significance

• Oregon State Industrial School for Girls (Salem, Oregon)

Outcome

Writ denied

Fate of bound party

Remained in custody

Case Citation

Marion County Circuit Court Journal, Dept. No. 2, Vol. 40, Aug. 1922-Nov. 1924, Accession No. 93A-19, p. 572; Marion County Circuit Court Case Files, Case No. 17133, Reel 250, Marion County Court House

Source material(s)

Journal | Case File

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

• Oregon State Archives (Salem, Oregon)
• Marion County Courthouse (Salem, Oregon)

State

• Oregon

Point(s) of law cited

Sections 4406-4426 of Lord’s Oregon Laws

Tag(s)

• Appeal
• Children

People

• Hills, Ferne (bound party)
• Hills, Marvin L. (petitioner)
• Hills, Myrtle (petitioner)
• Pierce, Walter M. (respondent)
• Kozer, Sam A. (respondent)
• Myers, Jefferson (respondent)
• Patterson, Clara C. (respondent)
• Moore, Willis S. (respondent attorney)
• Sims, W. O. (petitioner attorney)
• Bingham, George G. (judge)
• Kansler, Jacob (authority ordering detention)
• Pierce, Walter M. (responding party)
• Kozer, Sam A. (responding party)
• Myers, Jefferson (responding party)
• Patterson, Clara C. (responding party)
• Patterson, Clara C. (holding party)

• Additional parties

  Wilshire, Kenneth G. (unspecified)

  Duncan, George R. (unspecified)

  Anton, H. C. (complainant)

  Hewitt, T. J. (deputy clerk)

  Hale, Will S. (clerk)

  Burntrager, Mrs. A (City Dance Inspector)

  Moorad, Mrs. Elizabeth (representative of Women’s Protective Division)

  Jefferies, W. J. (representative of School Attendance Department)

  Danforth, Dora (probation officer)

  Beveridge, Joseph W. (clerk)

  Boyer, U. G. (clerk)

  Everett, Fremont (surety, lumberman)

  Landers, Bernice (witness)

  McBride, Thomas A. (chief justice)

  Bean, Henry J. (associate justice)

  Brown, George M. (associate justice)

  Burnett, George H. (associate justice)

  Rand, John L. (associate justice)

  Coshow, Oliver P. (associate justice)

  Pipes, Martin L. (associate justice)

  Benson, Arthur S. (clerk)