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Cases

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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Dates: 1815 - 1924

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State : Washington

623 results

Peter A. Clifford, Petitioner, vs. Herbert O. Williams and Grace E. Williams, Respondents in Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 19, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the Application of O. J. Watkins for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 11, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: obtaining money under false pretenses
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In Re: Petition of H. C. Littooy for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 4, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: practising dentistry without a license
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed | writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Petition of Ben Gabriel for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 31, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: being in possession of stolen goods
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Lucie T. Dominick for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 8, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Application of W. H. Harris for Writ Habeas Corp.

  • Earliest record date: July 13, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: living with a prostitution
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the Application of Ah Oy, alias Loy Sen for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 14, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: embezzlement
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Application of Ah Oy, alias Loy Sen for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 14, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Application of B. C. McCormick for Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 16, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the Application of James O'Donnell for writ Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 2, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: divorce | Carceral
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Application of John King for writ Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 15, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: kidnapping
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the Application of Gideon W. Morley for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 20, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In Re: Petition of Ham Hung Wah by Tom Sing for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 3, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
  • Petition outcome: Petition withdrawn
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application for Writ Habeas Corpus W. B. Cowing Jr.

  • Earliest record date: November 14, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of W. J. Irwin for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: November 19, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Petition of Robert Gillis for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 22, 1904
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of Arthur Frost for a Writ of Habeas Corp.

  • Earliest record date: January 3, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of Adolphus Gordon for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 11, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: possession of stolen property
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Al Lake for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 30, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of W. M. McPhay for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 24, 1903
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: murder
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the application of Anna Elizabeth Krim for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 18, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: child custody | Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Custody transferred to third party

In Re: Application of N. T. B. Pentreath for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 30, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice | Carceral: unlawfully and fraudulently uttering a forged document
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of Camille Renger for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 16, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: possession of stolen property
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Camille Renger for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 27, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of L. J. Urann for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 22, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: embezzlement
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Petition of Hugh J. O'Neill for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 22, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fraudulent sale of railroad tickets
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In Re: Application of L.J. Urann for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 1, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice | Carceral: larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the application of James Murray for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 14, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of James Plymate for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 19, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault with a deadly weapon | Carceral: intent to commit robbery
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Petition of Bertha Kuzek for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 2, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In Re: Ex Parte - Turner Jackson Petitioner for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 2, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault with intent to kill
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

Ex Parte: Donald McKarrecher - Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 18, 1902
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

In the Matter of the Application of Martin Von Schlosser for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 2, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of B. O. Graham for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: November 8, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Petition of Thomas Ball for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 13, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: failure to pay
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of O. V. Lawson for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 8, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: practicing medicine without a license
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

In the Matter of the Application of Martha Morrison for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 8, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: wrongful imprisonment
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In Re: Application of Joseph Walton for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 31, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: barbering on Sunday
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody | released on bail

In the Matter of the Petition of John S. Burnell for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 31, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Custody transferred to third party

In the Matter of the Petition of Cassie Hartman for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 5, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace | Carceral: provoking an assault
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Columbia George for a writ of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 24, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: wrongful imprisonment
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of Ike Zemansky for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 1, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: violation of city ordinance
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Frank D. Steel for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 25, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: embezzlement
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of John W. Cody for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 7, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Lorimer Ells for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 1, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of L. S. LeWald for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 2, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of L. S. LeWald for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 14, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive from justice
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Lillian Butler for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 5, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Petition of John O'Day for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 19, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Petition of Celia I. Dougherty for Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 25, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown
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