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211 stories matching valid
- The Saloon Fight Moves to Court: Petition Signatures Challenged
A Valley saloonkeeper tries to block Pend Oreille County’s local-option election, claiming the petition lacks enough valid voters and that many signatures are not genuine.
- The Price of a Cold Commute
After Mintie Carver died of pneumonia following a frigid, unheated train journey, her estate won a lawsuit against the Northern Pacific—a verdict the court refused to overturn.
- Washington Court Rules Fathers Have No Legal Duty to Support Illegitimate Children
A landmark decision from the state supreme court highlights a massive legal loophole regarding parental responsibility.
- Marriage at the Center of an Exclusion Crisis
A Seattle couple's travel plans are halted by the Chinese Restriction Act, sparking a legal struggle for their right to move freely.
- The Fight Over Everett’s Land Grab
A legal battle erupts in Olympia over accusations of fraud and collusion in the original sale of Everett real estate.
- The Unquestionable Will of Bailey Gatzert
Seattle’s prominent civic leader leaves a massive estate with ironclad instructions that bar his beneficiaries from ever challenging his wishes in court.
- A Seattle Election Was Decided by Charter Procedure—and the Supreme Court Let It Stand
The state Supreme Court upheld amendments that cut Seattle’s house of delegates to one member per ward, dooming V. P. Wiesemnal’s bid to take a seat under the old rules.
- The Bankers’ Bailout for City Debt
Seattle’s financial elite push for state intervention to retroactively legalize city debt incurred in excess of the constitutional limit.
- Chaos at City Hall: A Dispute Over Who Is Mayor
A heated council meeting descends into procedural gridlock as members argue over the legitimacy of the city's leadership.
- New Law Reshapes Local Construction Business
A legislative change forces material men to provide duplicate invoices, altering building financial practices in Tacoma.
- City Council Demands Better Cable Car Service
Tacoma citizens are fed up with broken-down, slow streetcars, and the City Council is finally demanding that the company stop cutting corners on passenger safety.
- A High-Stakes Land Battle in Seattle
Secretary Noble intervenes in a hundred-thousand-dollar timber land dispute involving Michigan General R.A. Alger.
- A.P.A. Secures Victory in Ballard School Election
The American Protective Association flexes its political muscle in a high-turnout school board race.
- Walla Walla School Board Admits to Illegal Spending
After building a high school without public vote, the school board confesses to issuing over $63,000 in unauthorized warrants.
- The Drys Won Newport. Then They Built a Machine to Keep It.
A new Municipal League aims to protect the local-option victory—and the city hires counsel as opponents challenge the election in court.
- The City Council's Expensive Do-Over
After the Supreme Court tossed out a faulty assessment, the City of Seattle passes an emergency ordinance to squeeze residents for a new payment on a completed sewer project.
- Gambling in the Stag Saloon
A municipal judge rules that draw poker is punishable as a misdemeanor under city ordinance.
- The Loophole in the Timber Claims
A federal court ruling clarifies that innocent buyers are protected even when the land they purchased was originally obtained through fraudulent timber claims.
- The County Treasury Lockdown
Whatcom County officials are at an impasse over a resolution to freeze outstanding warrants, sparking a legal and political battle.
- A Wife’s Wages Were Her Own, a Seattle Court Rules
A judge protected Anna Craig’s homestead and savings from her husband’s creditors, ruling that her earnings and property could remain separate from the community estate.
- City Assessment Scheme Ruled Valid After Legal Fight
The state supreme court overturns a previous ruling, saving Seattle from a potential financial crisis regarding street improvement assessments.
- The First Convict of the Gambling Law
A Spokane saloon operator becomes the first casualty of Washington's strict new anti-gambling statute, landing a one-year sentence at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla.
- The City’s IOUs: Seattle's Great 1892 Debt Reckoning
Facing a mountain of unpaid warrants and legal liabilities, the city council asks voters to decide if Seattle will settle its debts with bonds or face financial collapse.
- The Fight for the Ten-Hour Day
A department store faces legal action for forcing saleswomen into fourteen-hour shifts.
- Ballard’s Police Judge Questioned
A dairyman challenges the legitimacy of his jail sentence and the authority of the judge who signed the warrant.