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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 6 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 9 |
| 1892 | 11 |
| 1893 | 18 |
| 1894 | 11 |
| 1895 | 17 |
| 1903 | 13 |
| 1904 | 4 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1909 | 4 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1925 | 1 |
145 stories matching void
- The Case of the Missing Jury
A landmark Washington Territory court ruling challenges the legal status of women as jurors, debating whether 'civil disability' laws were ever intended to grant women the right to serve.
- Judge Strikes Down State Road Laws
A landmark superior court ruling declares the state's method for seizing private property for public roads unconstitutional, throwing years of county construction projects into legal limbo.
- 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.
- The Seattle Legal Crisis of 1887
When an error in the law's title threatened to invalidate every court order in the territory, the Seattle Bar Association gathered to decide if the wheels of justice had ground to a halt.
- Legal Strategies Against the Geary Act
While the Six Companies prepare a constitutional challenge to the Chinese Exclusion Act, some factions within the community choose to comply to avoid deportation.
- When the Law Stops the City
A judicial ruling in Tacoma paralyzes street improvements, sparking a bitter feud between city officials and property owners.
- The Mother Who Defended Her Daughter
A Seattle jury acquits a mother who shot the man who married her 14-year-old daughter against her will.
- The Defiant Board of Registration
When the Supreme Court of Washington Territory ruled against women’s suffrage in 1887, Seattle officials openly revolted, ordering women to register for the upcoming city election anyway.
- The Cow War of Duwamish Valley
A petty dispute over a farm animal escalated into a year of false accusations, forgery claims, and midnight police raids in pioneer Seattle.
- Olympia’s ‘Miserable’ Street Railway Is Holding the City Back
An 1891 editorial demands that the city cancel the Olympia Street Railway’s charter and clear Main and Fourth streets for electric cars, arguing the two rickety horse cars are a disgrace and a drag on growth.
- Senate Votes to Forfeit Unearned Northern Pacific Lands
As the Senate debates the forfeiture of Northern Pacific Railroad land grants in the Washington Territory, legal experts and legislators clash over whether corporations should be held to the same standards as individuals.
- Tacoma’s Water and Light Bond Issue Struck Down
A Superior Court judge voids a $2,150,000 bond issue, citing municipal debt limits and technical failures in the election process.
- The Fight for a Son’s Birthright in Pioneer Seattle
A prominent Chinese merchant takes the extraordinary step of filing court petitions to prove his son is an American citizen and thus eligible to own property.
- The Tax Protest on Madison Street
A Seattle property owner challenges the city's assessment for Madison Street improvements, calling the fees illegal and a cloud on the title.
- The Clerk vs. The Judge: A Battle Over Legal Authority
When a clerk in the Third Judicial District overstepped his bounds, a Chief Justice used the case of James Steel to affirm that only a judge possesses the power to declare the law.
- A Twelve-Year Water War Ends in Victory for Valley Farmers
The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in favor of local Hanford water users, effectively ending a long-standing legal battle over irrigation rights and land ownership.
- The Price of a Scandalous Partnership
A woman who eloped to Seattle seeks to reclaim her share of a partnership, only to have a judge dismiss the suit as based on an 'immoral consideration.'
- The Bizarre Legal Battle for the Benton County Courthouse
A sprawling court fight over the construction contract has pulled in an army of attorneys, stalling the project and complicating the county's civic future.
- Is the Road Law Unconstitutional?
A Seattle man challenges the legality of a new road near Houghton, claiming private property rights are being trampled for the benefit of a few.
- The Unmaking of Women’s Suffrage in Washington Territory
A Supreme Court ruling overturns the territory's suffrage law, branding the move an 'unconstitutional' legislative trick.
- The Courts Overrule a Legal Gambit
A municipal judge’s attempt to invalidate Seattle’s anti-gambling laws is struck down, ensuring the city’s crackdown on theater games continues.
- The Railway Scheme That Failed
A phantom freight tariff, designed to crush independent grocers, is exposed and vetoed by the railroad manager himself.
- The Midnight Death of Seattle’s Charter
When a judge declared the city’s incorporation invalid in 1877, the local newspaper editor went on the warpath to save the municipality from 'gratuitous anarchy.'
- The Day Seattle Suffrage Died
A technical legal oversight by the Territorial Legislature has stripped women of their right to vote and serve on juries.
- The Unfinished Business of a Seattle Civic Titan
The passing of Colonel H. H. Hanee, a prominent Republican figure and dedicated public servant, leaves a significant void in Seattle's political and social life.