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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 14 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 5 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 12 |
| 1884 | 8 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 17 |
| 1887 | 20 |
| 1888 | 10 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 52 |
| 1892 | 81 |
| 1893 | 116 |
| 1894 | 104 |
| 1895 | 106 |
| 1897 | 3 |
| 1898 | 8 |
| 1899 | 11 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 49 |
| 1904 | 32 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 13 |
| 1909 | 53 |
| 1910 | 14 |
| 1911 | 6 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 10 |
| 1915 | 14 |
| 1916 | 22 |
| 1917 | 11 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 8 |
| 1924 | 5 |
| 1925 | 3 |
908 stories matching decis
- City Wins Right to Levy Special Street Assessments
A landmark court decision by Judge Greene clears the path for city infrastructure funding by upholding the legality of special assessments for street improvements.
- The Great Railroad Land Grab
A government commissioner issues a sweeping order to restore millions of acres of Western land to the public domain after decades of railroad control.
- When Seattle’s School Warrants Went Begging at 90 Cents
A judge’s ruling on school money left teachers and directors unpaid, school warrants unsellable, and King County officials refusing to honor the court.
- The Great Spokane Title Crisis
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has suddenly rendered thousands of property deeds void, threatening the downtown core of Spokane.
- The Yakima Water Wars
A landmark federal court decision secures the future of government irrigation projects across the Yakima Valley.
- The Federal Strike Against Washington's Anti-Cigarette Law
A federal judge declares Washington's prohibition on cigarette sales unconstitutional, setting up a fight between state and federal authority.
- State Supreme Court Rules Police May Search Cars Without Warrants
A landmark decision affirms that officers need not secure a warrant if they have probable cause to suspect liquor law violations.
- Edmonds Elects First Socialist Mayor in Washington State
In a decisive municipal contest, voter support for W.H. Cook signals a sharp shift in local politics.
- The Quillayute Land Dispute Ends in Eviction
After years of legal battles, the Secretary of the Interior rules that Daniel Pullen’s claim to Quileute lands at La Push must be surrendered to the tribe.
- The Day Seattle Women Lost the Vote
In a bombshell ruling that blindsided the territory, the Supreme Court struck down the 1883 law that first granted Washington women the right to cast a ballot.
- The Supreme Court Rules Against Voter Registration in Tacoma
A surprise high court ruling eliminates voter registration requirements for an upcoming special municipal bond election, sparking fears of illegal voting.
- Supreme Court Backs Benton County Taxpayers in Bond Case
The Supreme Court rules against Benton County commissioners for 'bad faith' in a courthouse bond dispute.
- The End of the Hop-Picking Migration
A federal decision in 1892 abruptly cuts off the long-standing seasonal labor of British Columbia indigenous harvesters in Washington.
- Federal Land Claims Struck Down in Seattle
Secretary Noble rejects a group of homestead applications in the Seattle district, potentially halting a syndicate's attempt to hoard thousands of acres.
- Court House Construction Dispute Nears Legal Limbo
A procedural error by the bench keeps former county commissioners out of jail while the county's infrastructure project remains deadlocked.
- Minority Stockholders Defeat Tacoma Smelting Company
After a multi-year legal battle, a circuit court reverses a lower court decision, handing a victory to shareholders alleging disenfranchisement by the smelting company.
- The Vagrancy Trap: A Precedent for Exclusion
A Marysville judge shuts down jury trials for those accused of vagrancy, empowering local police to forcibly remove 'bad characters' from the city.
- A Massive Land Grab Stalled: Seattle’s Northern Pacific Victory
A pivotal decision in Washington Territory nullifies a $125,000,000 corporate claim on public land, forcing a reckoning for the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- Supreme Court Rules on Tideland Ownership
A landmark decision confirms that Indigenous nations hold title to tidelands within reservation boundaries.
- The Battle for Metaline's Land
A complex legal dispute over the Metaline townsite ends in a victory for a scrip claimant, though the fight is far from over.
- The Settler's Victory Against the Northern Pacific
A landmark Secretary of the Interior decision in 1888 effectively blocked the Northern Pacific Railroad from seizing 'indemnity' lands held by Washington homesteaders.
- The Battle for the Bay
A federal judge rules that Commencement Bay belongs to the state, paving the way for industrial rail expansion over local Indigenous land claims.
- Congress Opens Puyallup Reservation Lands to Private Sale
A federal decision ends long-standing ambiguity, allowing the Puyallup people to sell or lease their allotted lands and subjecting the property to taxation.
- Defeating the Yakima Valley Land Grab
State officials block a massive land selection scheme, sparking a debate over corporate control of irrigation water.
- The Day Women Lost the Vote in Washington
A legal technicality regarding the wording of a territorial act effectively stripped Washington women of their hard-won voting rights in 1887.