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.
Featured story: The Habeas Corpus and Divorce Proceedings of Katie Mayes
Basic Search
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Filter by:
Petition Subtype
- Carceral: vagrancy 6
- Carceral 3
- Carceral: unlawful possession and transport of intoxicating liquor 3
- Carceral: burglary 2
- Carceral: grand larceny 2
- Institutional: public health detention 2
- Carceral: assault with intent to commit great bodily injury 1
- Carceral: contempt of court 1
- Carceral: drunkenness 1
- Carceral: fugitive from justice 1
- Institutional: vagrancy 1
Points of Law Cited
- 55 A. S. R. 259 State V Perkins, 143 La. 55: 120 N. W. 62 In re Williams, 39 Minn. 172: 39 N. W. 65 Ex Parte Shaw, 7 Ohio St. 81 1
- 70 Am. Dec. 55 1
- Michelson V Beemer, 72 Neb. Page 761 Cole V State 180 N. W. Page 564 Section 9152, Revised Statute of Nebraska 1913 Corpus Juris, Volume 16, Page 1311 Smithey V State, 93 Miss. 257 Compare Wecheler V United States, 185, Federal 579 Re Kelly 65, California, 154 3 L. A. R. Page 1572 Ex Parte Duff, 105 N. W., Page 138 Ex Parte Cole 174 N. W. at Page 509, and Page 848 Michaelson v Beemer, 12 Nebr. 761, 101 N. W. 1007 McCormick V State 66 Nebr. 337, 12 N. W. 606 In Re Reed, 143 Cal. 634: 77 Psc. 660 State V Klock, 48 La. Ann 67 1
- Omaha City Ordinance No. 9853, that it is unlawful for any person to expose others to infection, and must submit to examination (full text included in CF) 1
People
- Foster, W. A. 20
- Smith, Robert (Clerk) 17
- Clark, Michael L. 16
- Steere Jr., Asel (Deputy) 16
- Redick, William A. 9
- Estelle, Lee S. 5
- Fitzgerald, James M. (James J.) 5
- Leslie, Charles 4
- Macfarland, John M. 4
- Brailey, Edwin F. 3
- Bumbaugh, Edward R. (Notary Public) 3
- Manning, Ernest T. (Ernest C.) 3
- Shotwell, Abel V. 3
- Clark, Michael L. (Sheriff) 2
- Donahue, John J. (Donahoe) 2
- Fitzgerald, James M. (Judge of Police Court) 2
- Foster, W. A. (Deputy) 2
- Horrigan, Daniel H. (Daniel H. Harrigan) 2
- Kennedy, Howard 2
- Morearty, Edward F. (Ed. F.) 2
- Ritchie, Albert S. (Richie) 2
- Smith, Robert (Clark) 2
- Alexsa, Joseph 1
- Anderson, Emma (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Anderson, Svend (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Astleford, Walter (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Baldwin, John N. (John W.) 1
- Barry, Blanche 1
- Bastian, Clarence (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Beckwith, M. L. 1
- Berger, John M. 1
- Berry, Bessie 1
- Bowes, H. H. 1
- Brady, Thomas E. 1
- Brady, Thomas E. (Notary Public) 1
- Breen, John P. 1
- Brome, 1
- Bstian, Almer (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Burger, John M. (Complainant) 1
- Burns, James 1
- Clay, C. E. 1
- Coffey, John (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Cohan, Robert A. (Clerk of Police Court of Omaha) 1
- Cohen, Samuel H. (Clerk Police Court) 1
- Coleman, Samuel (Clerk of Police Court) 1
- Crater, Enola 1
- Dahlan, James C. (Mayor and President of City Council) 1
- Davis, 1
- Day, L. B. 1
- Dempsey, Michael F. 1
- Dineen, Frank M. (Complainant, Omaha City Prosecutor), Thomas, Paul (Surety) 1
- Donlan, Mildred (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Duncan, George 1
- English, J. P. (County Attorney) 1
- English, James P. (County Attorney) 1
- Ferguson, Mrs. Arthur (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Foster, 1
- Garlich, Fred (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Goss, Charles A. 1
- Gottneid, Sidney J. (Deputy) 1
- Greene, P. F. (Deputy) 1
- Hagen, Thomas W. (Unknown) 1
- Hamer, Agnes (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Hansen, Ajnar (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Hansen, George (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Hansen, Hans (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Hansen, Henry (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Hansen, Lillian (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Hansen, Mrs. Hans (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Havens, A. L. (Defendants Witness) 1
- Heitfeld, Henry (Heitfeldt) 1
- Heitfeld, Henry (Police Captain) 1
- Hitch, Charles D. (Notary Public) 1
- Hoye, Charles M. (Deputy) 1
- Johnson, Robert H. 1
- Kinnerup, Kenneth (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Kinnerup, Laura (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Krallman, Casper 1
- Kutscher, Helen (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Kyral, George (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Lindsey, H. C. (Clerk) 1
- Lovely, Joe (Notary Public) 1
- Lovely, Joseph M. 1
- Lovely, William E. 1
- Lovgren, John A. (Notary Public) 1
- Lynne, Mrs. Carmen 1
- Madden, Ray J. 1
- Magney, George A. 1
- Manning, Ernest C. (Health Commissioner) 1
- Manning, Ernest T. (City Health Commissioner) 1
- Marcell, J. T. (Clerk Magistrate Court of the City of Omaha) 1
- Markhofer, Willy (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- McShane, Jr., Felix J. (F. J.) 1
- Morrissey, Andrew M. (Chief Justice of Nebraska's Supreme Court) 1
- Murray, J. B. (Complainant) 1
- Murray, Thomas B. 1
- Nessor, Elizabeth (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- Nessor, Johanne (Plaintiffs Witness) 1
- O'Connor, T. J. (City Clerk) 1
- Olson, Selmer (Defendants Witness) 1
20 results
Download JSON Download CSVIn the matter of the application of George Rigby for writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: November 2, 1910
- Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In Re appl. of James Burns for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: December 2, 1911
- Petition type(s): Carceral: burglary
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In Re application of John Wilson for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: November 29, 1911
- Petition type(s): Carceral: burglary
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In re Application of Rosie Wise for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 25, 1912
- Petition type(s): Carceral: assault with intent to commit great bodily injury
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In re application of Henry Peterson for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: January 30, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application of Joseph Alexa for writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: May 13, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In re application of Curley Stenson for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 1, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application of Enola Crater for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: June 4, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: drunkenness
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application of Bessie Berry for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 6, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy | Institutional: vagrancy
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application of Blanche Barry for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 10, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy | Institutional: public health detention
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In re application of Mrs. Carmen Lynne for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 20, 1918
- Petition type(s): Institutional: public health detention
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application of C. E. Clay for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 16, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: unlawful possession and transport of intoxicating liquor
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application of James H Parsons for writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: August 28, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny | Carceral: fugitive from justice
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application of Casper Krallman Relator for a writ of Habeas Corpus vs. Michael L. Clark, Sheriff, Respondent
- Earliest record date: September 16, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: unlawful possession and transport of intoxicating liquor
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In re application of Ike Payne for writ of Habeas Corpus vs. Michael L. Clark, Sheriff, Respondent
- Earliest record date: September 12, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: unlawful possession and transport of intoxicating liquor
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter application of George Duncan for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 2, 1919
- Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of application of Frank Sellers for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: August 31, 1921
- Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of application of Joe Strilka for writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: February 10, 1922
- Petition type(s): Carceral: contempt of court
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of application of Fred Sledge for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: April 19, 1922
- Petition type(s): Carceral
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application of Robert H. Johnson for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: October 20, 1922
- Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
