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Habeas petitions described a broad range of carceral, institutional, and interpersonal confinement over the long nineteenth century, including those used to demand due process, resist enslavement, challenge child removal and reservation confinement, avoid deportation, present child custody claims and protest child marriage, and to challenge institutionalization and detention in private and state institutions. As a legal mechanism borrowed from British common law and guaranteed as a civil right in US federal and state constitutions, habeas provides a lens on a diverse community of legal actors.

Our encoding practice allows us to identify petitions in these three categories and to indicate where those categories overlap. In addition to these three general categories, our team has identified the specific carceral charge being challenged as well as the particular forms of institutional and interpersonal confinements being questioned.

You may also browse or search petitions by location and/or jurisdiction to learn more about the myriad complaints petitioners brought before judges in Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington between 1812 and 1924. Each case entry includes a full citation, a summary, links to people with a role in the case, a list of other people named, and any sites of significance. Visitors wanting access to full case files can contact the cited repository for information about obtaining copies. Those without institutional affiliations may request image scans from Dr. Jagodinsky directly. The Glossary defines the attributes used to structure data from the habeas petitions. The Code Book explains the relational structure of the data and functionality of the database website.

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  • between 11 and 20 pages 589

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Length of Case File : between 11 and 20 pages

589 results

Habeas Corpus for John Plackett & May his wife

  • Earliest record date: December 17, 1825
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: child abuse
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

John Singleton vs. Alexander Scott, Robert Lewis

  • Earliest record date: August 30, 1827
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: wrongful enslavement
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Aspasia Petition for Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 10, 1827
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: wrongful enslavement
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

By the Habeas Corpus Act, State Missouri vs. John Young

  • Earliest record date: March 26, 1828
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: wrongful enslavement
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

Patrick Henry vs. Garland Rucker

  • Earliest record date: August 19, 1829
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: wrongful enslavement
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Mahala, a free woman of color v. Martin Mitchell

  • Earliest record date: July 20, 1832
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: wrongful enslavement
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Leah, a woman of color v. Arthur Mitchel

  • Earliest record date: September 25, 1832
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: wrongful enslavement
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of George W. Turley upon a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 25, 1853
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the matter of Rupert Jaeger

  • Earliest record date: March 22, 1854
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the Matter of Mary Wilson

  • Earliest record date: April 20, 1854
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the Matter of Adam Marshall

  • Earliest record date: February 23, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the matter of Charles Groves

  • Earliest record date: June 5, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Habeas Corpus in the matter of George Brown

  • Earliest record date: June 19, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the matter of John W. Donohue

  • Earliest record date: October 5, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: underage military enlistment
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In re Geo. Washington Kirk

  • Earliest record date: June 14, 1856
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the Matter of James S. Moore

  • Earliest record date: February 2, 1857
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the matter of Wm Megiveren

  • Earliest record date: June 3, 1857
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of John Bellamy

  • Earliest record date: June 30, 1858
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of Elihu Schooner

  • Earliest record date: July 2, 1858
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of William Edwards

  • Earliest record date: August 14, 1858
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of Martha Edwards

  • Earliest record date: August 21, 1858
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody | Carceral: prostitution
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

James Robinson v. Territory of Washington

  • Earliest record date: June 10, 1862
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Not in custody

In the Matter of Application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus on Behalf of Thomas Nelson Overnell, a small child about 14 months old in Island County

  • Earliest record date: October 23, 1862
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Albert Briggs v. Territory of Washington

  • Earliest record date: January 17, 1865
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of J. W. Tripp for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 3, 1867
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: murder
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of Robert Ross for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 3, 1867
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: perjury
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of Caroline Bauer By the Habeas Corpus Act

  • Earliest record date: January 2, 1868
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: insanity
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of Application of John Suelling for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 13, 1869
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice | Carceral: grand larceny
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Petition of William H. Geary and William Williams for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 5, 1873
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: mutiny
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Han Lee for a writ of Habeas Corpus on behalf of Seo Kim

  • Earliest record date: January 21, 1874
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: trafficking
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of J. J. Johnson for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 19, 1874
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: selling liquor to Indians
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Frank Burke vs. L. V. Wyckoff Writ of Habeaus Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 21, 1875
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault and battery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

Territory of Washington v. Mary Ann and Adaline O'Neil

  • Earliest record date: November 12, 1875
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Donald Fallon and Frank Rogers for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 6, 1876
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed | writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody | remained in custody

King County v. William Hughs and Micheal Broderick

  • Earliest record date: October 5, 1876
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: refusal to pay bail
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Edward B. Fuller for a Writ of Habeas Corpus to Discharge Him from the Illegal Restraint by William Billings at the Jail of said County

  • Earliest record date: June 13, 1877
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: making written threats | Carceral: accessory to polygamy
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the petition of C. W. Zaeuker for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 18, 1877
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Joseph Wells v. William A Church & Martha Church

  • Earliest record date: November 25, 1877
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody | Interpersonal: kidnapping
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Henry Palm for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 19, 1878
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: murder
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Application of William Fox for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 16, 1878
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: refusal or inability to pay court costs
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of John Morrissey for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 26, 1878
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny | Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of John Morrissey for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 26, 1878
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny | Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of S. W. Hall for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 6, 1879
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified | Carceral: embezzlement
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

M. T. Ward v. L. V. Wyckoff

  • Earliest record date: July 14, 1879
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: debt
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of Julius Leiffman for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 7, 1880
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: forgery | Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of H.A. Carleton for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: November 6, 1880
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: bastardy
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

Dan Sullivan v. David Marsh Sheriff of Whitman County

  • Earliest record date: June 10, 1881
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: petty larceny
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Henry Imhoff for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: November 1, 1881
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: selling liquor to Indians
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Territory of Washington v. Chin Chung. Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: November 10, 1882
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: drug use | Carceral: opium use | Carceral: refusal or inability to pay fine
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

City of Seattle v. John McLaine

  • Earliest record date: February 28, 1884
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody
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