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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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1876 results

In the matter of the application of John Gordon, for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 15, 1875
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: violation of military order
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Custody transferred to third party

In the Matter of the Application of Oscar B. Hill for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 12, 1895
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: selling liquor without a license
  • 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

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

  • Earliest record date: September 24, 1895
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: employing females in a place where intoxicating liquors are sold
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of Application of John Morgan for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 21, 1890
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Ex Rel Fred V. Larson vs. Henry W. Dunn, Chief of Police and Steve Maloney Chief of Detectives - Fred T. Ray Sheriff or other agents of the State of Kansas, For Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 21, 1917
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: false pretenses | Carceral: mortgage fraud
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In Re: Application of Frank Thompson for a writ of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 21, 1923
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Petition withdrawn
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Thomas Kerr for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 15, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Charles Smith for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 9, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: attempt to defraud
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Joe Lacorte for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 18, 1899
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: seeking exemption from draft
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Thomas Ratcliff for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 30, 1901
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: contempt of court
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

United States of America v Aiken Salter

  • Earliest record date: August 16, 1923
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: selling and dealing narcotic drugs
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Habeas Corpus in the matter of James Pilcher

  • Earliest record date: December 3, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: underage military enlistment
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus in the matter of Coley A. D. Harris

  • Earliest record date: January 31, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: fugitive slavery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Lucia Martinez vs. Thomas Barrman, K. S. Woolsey, John Ammerman & Mrs Ammerman

  • Earliest record date: July 29, 1871
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Custody transferred to third party

In the matter of the application of Nellie E. Hurt for writ of Habeas Corpus for June Lucile Hurt

  • Earliest record date: January 24, 1919
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Custody transferred to third party

In the Matter of the Application of George Dunn for Writ of Habeas Corpus (A)

  • Earliest record date: May 7, 1896
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault with intent to wound
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of William T. Anderton for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 11, 1908
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: underage military enlistment | Carceral: fraudulent enlistment
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Ben Wa, for a writ of Habeas Corpus for Tung Kee

  • Earliest record date: July 9, 1912
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: deportation | Carceral: immigration
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of John Hoffman for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 7, 1891
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In re Application of John F. Decker, for a writ of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 2, 1905
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: perjury
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Ordered to be re-sentenced

In the matter of the application of James McDevitt for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 1, 1889
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: hog theft | Carceral: refusal or inability to pay fine
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In Re Application of Russell and Nettie Watson for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 29, 1920
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Billy Phillips for a Writ of Habeas Corpus for Ellen Phillips his wife

  • Earliest record date: September 27, 1893
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: wrongful imprisonment
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of Robert Volwiler and Lillian Volwiler Minors, for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: January 22, 1907
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of Mrs. Lee Sing Wot for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 6, 1889
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of John Voboril for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 28, 1908
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: insanity
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Otto H. Dogge for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 22, 1885
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: aiding and abetting
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of Sigmund Arnstein for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 29, 1895
  • Petition type(s): Carceral
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the petition of Sarah B. Leray for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 8, 1903
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Edward Butler, for Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 8, 1921
  • Petition type(s): Unknown
  • Petition outcome: Petition withdrawn
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of Matt Puryear for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 8, 1891
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault and battery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

In re application of Daisy Hartman for Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 13, 1920
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: inmate of ill-governed home
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

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 Tassos Tourtas for writ Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 20, 1910
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus of C.W. Skutt against Robert Hodge, Sheriff

  • Earliest record date: September 30, 1912
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of George H. Harris for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 28, 1916
  • Petition type(s): Carceral
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In re-Application of George Compton for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: December 6, 1897
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: vagrancy
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Habeas Corpus In the Matter of Owen Dowd

  • Earliest record date: April 3, 1855
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: underage military enlistment
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In re-application of Edna Lambert for Writ of Habeas Corpus vs. W. G. Seeley and Mrs. W. G. Seeley, his wife

  • Earliest record date: June 16, 1916
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Claude H. Goldsborough on relation of his mother Izora I. Goldsborough for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 28, 1890
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: New custody arrangement reached

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 Leroy Craig for a writ of Habeas Corpus against J. L. Greene, first name unknown

  • Earliest record date: April 19, 1906
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: insanity
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of James Nesladek and Anna Nesladek for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 25, 1921
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: child custody | Carceral: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody | custody transferred to third party

In the matter of Thomas Sullivan on writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 13, 1919
  • Petition type(s): Carceral | Carceral: statutory rape
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of John W. Brennan for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 1, 1924
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: forging of post office money orders
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Ray Raymond for a writ of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 26, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: first degree murder
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In re Application of Albert L. Rosenbloom for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 7, 1908
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: wife desertion
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

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

  • Earliest record date: February 11, 1874
  • Petition type(s): Carceral
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody
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