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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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1876 results

In the Matter of the Application of L. T. Savacool for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 18, 1884
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: forgery
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Can- ah- couqua for a writ of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 20, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: child custody | Institutional: Indian agent/superintendent
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Yu Gum and Yu Hung for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 7, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Mary Marshall mother of Wm. Marshall an infant for a petition of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 8, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of Prosfrio Deffillipps and Filip Perill for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 29, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: desertion
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Robert Ashburn for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 3, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: New custody arrangement reached

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 the Matter of the Application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus for Peter Goshaun

  • Earliest record date: July 12, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Bertha Dogge for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 16, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: contempt of court
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of W. H. Beers and E. R. Bissett for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 24, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Unknown
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Micheal Richie for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 12, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Jacob Schuman for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 27, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: selling liquor without a license
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application for a writ of Habeas Corpus on behalf of Delia Batten

  • Earliest record date: September 27, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Unknown
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of Application of Henry Huckfeldt for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 30, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

Ex Parte Wilhalm Spiertiz, Application for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 5, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of C. A. Clayton, Geo Rosenthal, Wm Lewis, John McDonald, Chas Olsen, Chao Kales, Fredericke Linde, C. Roschman For a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 9, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: detaining sailors aboard ship
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the Application of John Duffy for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 16, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Institutional
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Ah Ken for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 1, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of M. J. McDonough for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 21, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: contempt of court
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Order of discharge

In the matter of the application of Clifford B. Smith for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 9, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the Application of I. E. Spafford for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: March 29, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: administering drug to cause abortion
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Alexander Brown and George Brown, infants, by their father Nicholas Brown for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 17, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Not in custody

In the Matter of the Application of Elnora Cline, an Infant, by B.M. Cline, Her Father, for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 21, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown

In the matter of the application of Gustave Gunderson for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: June 27, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: wrongful imprisonment
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

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

  • Earliest record date: June 29, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: accessory to the crime of murder
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Territory of Washington v. George Woodard

  • Earliest record date: July 5, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: unlawful sale of intoxicating liquor
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Samuel O'Brien v. Nancy O'Brien

  • Earliest record date: July 9, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody | new custody arrangement reached

In the Matter of the Application of Mary E. Teller for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 11, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: murder
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Charles W. Sawyer for a writ of habeas corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 13, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

Ex Parte Hiram VanBuskirk, Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 22, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of William W. Tinkham for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: August 31, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: false accusation
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody | released on bail

In Re Petition of Gus Bendjus et al for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 15, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: rioting | Carceral: malicious destruction of property
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

Thomas Reddington and Patrick Gallagher v. William Cochrane

  • Earliest record date: September 15, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: first degree murder
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the matter of the application of William Doran for writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 8, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Thomas S. Brown et al for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: October 15, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: military infraction
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the application of Louis Leiberman for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: July 18, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: violation of Sunday Ordinance
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Released on bail

In the matter of the application of Peter Barrett

  • Earliest record date: November 22, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the Matter of the Application of Alice McKay for a Writ of Habeas Corpus for the Body of Mary McKay Her Infant Daughter

  • Earliest record date: November 25, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody | Interpersonal: kidnapping | Institutional: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

In the matter of the application of Joseph Bowers for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: November 2, 1887
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: assault and battery
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Ah Sing For a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: September 25, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

Territory of Washington v. George Grant

  • Earliest record date: February 14, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: infamous crime against nature with a beast
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Mary LeFebvre for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 21, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of Mary M. Claybourn by C. H. Kelly on her behalf for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: February 23, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

B. Norman v. J. F. Warren

  • Earliest record date: January 25, 1837
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: violation of city ordinance
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus for Clayton Musser, by John Musser, parent

  • Earliest record date: March 13, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the Matter of the application of Elmer Buchanan for a writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: May 17, 1886
  • Petition type(s): Institutional: juvenile detention
  • Petition outcome: Writ denied
  • Fate of bound party: Remained in custody

Jennie Miller Powers v. Mary Elizabeth Miller and R. J. Miller

  • Earliest record date: April 9, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody

In the matter of the application of Wong Sam et al. for a Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 10, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

Joseph Deveriske v. Territory of Washington

  • Earliest record date: April 7, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Carceral: larceny
  • Petition outcome: Unknown
  • Fate of bound party: Unknown

In the Matter of the Application of H. J. Mann on Behalf of His Infant Daughter for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Earliest record date: April 24, 1888
  • Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
  • Petition outcome: Writ allowed
  • Fate of bound party: Released from custody | new custody arrangement reached
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