Case Summary

J.G. Jeffreys (G.L. Jeffrey), a black man, was arrested and charged with assault and battery and mayhem after resisting the commands of constable Richard Diamond and biting his hand. Jeffreys was found guilty and was levied a fine of ninety-nine dollars plus the court costs of Diamond, and was committed without bail until his fees were paid. Jeffreys and his petitioner Allen A. Garner, an attorney and prominent Black community leader, asserted that he was held illegally as his charge was not one that could be punished "by the laws of the States” and that the ruling was “excessive of the jurisdiction" of Judge Cousins. Jeffreys’ writ of habeas corpus was granted and he would later be released. This case is most probably the same as that of G.L Jeffrey, but the the cases remain distinct in a couple minute ways.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

• Assault and battery

Sites of significance

• King County Jail (Seattle, Washington)

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Released from custody

Case Citation

King County Government, Judicial Records, Superior Court, Case No. 0853

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Related petitions

• In the matter of Matt Puryear for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
• In the matter of GL Jeffrey for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

Repository(s)

• Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch (Bellevue, Washington)

State

• Washington

Tag(s)

• Police officer
• Threat of mob violence

People

• Garner, Allen A (petitioner)
• Garner, Allen A (petitioner attorney)
• Jeffrey, G.L. (G.L. Jeffries, J.G. Jeffreys) (bound party)
• Woolery, James H. (responding party)
• Woolery, James H. (holding party)
• Woolery, James H. (respondent)
• Cousins, C.S. (authority ordering detention)
• Humes, Thomas J. (judge)

• Additional parties

  Crabtree, I.J. (Deputy)

  Spencer, W.B. (Clerk);