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129 stories matching acquit
- The Legal Definition of Animal Abuse
A jury acquits a man who killed a 'balky' horse, raising questions about the threshold for animal cruelty in the 1890s.
- Lodging House Feud Escalates in Seattle Courts
Seattle jury acquits lodging-house manager Henry Williams, who then has accuser Louis Martin arrested for assault.
- The Janitor Who Was a Cop: How One Man’s Brutal Discipline Was Legalized by Law
In a landmark ruling for school safety and corporal punishment, a Seattle janitor is acquitted of child abuse charges after proving he was sworn in as a special police officer.
- The Jury That Usurped the Bench
After a man accused of shooting a superintendent was acquitted, the Post-Intelligencer launches a scathing critique of 'lawless' juries who favor sentiment over evidence.
- The Kangaroo Court’s Cruel Joke
J.J. Sander, acquitted by insanity, was mocked by jailhouse 'kangaroo court' with forged love letters.
- Acquittal After a Fatal Crap Game
A man is acquitted of murder in the second degree after a street game of craps turned into a deadly knife and gun fight.
- The Hop-Picker’s Trial
A jury acquits a young laborer following a violent camp dispute that exposed the raw realities of life in the hop fields.
- The Long-Running Liquor Case of Patrick Scullin
After nearly a year of evasion and promises to plead guilty, a jury finally acquits the Lake Washington tavern owner of selling liquor without a license.
- The Mob Violence Trial That Shook 1885 Seattle
A jury acquits a man accused of murdering Chinese laborers in Squak Valley, sparking chaotic courtroom protests.
- The Self-Defense Trial that Gripped Garfield County
After concealing her husband's body in a potato hole and weathering public suspicion, Mrs. Lartigue is acquitted of murder.
- The City Treasurer's Banker Walks Free
After a dramatic trial, Henry Fuhrman is acquitted of charges related to city funds, sparking a debate on institutional corruption and the blurred lines between public finance and private banking.
- The Union Club's Roulette Wheel
A judge rules that a seized roulette wheel isn't necessarily a gambling tool, sparking a debate over the city's power to destroy property.
- The Chicken-Head Oath Was Not Used in This Seattle Courtroom
Chin Chew was acquitted of beating and robbing a fellow Chinese laborer, but the case is remembered for a judge's refusal to repeat a rival jurist's 'chicken oath' experiment.
- The Editor's Pistol: A Deadly Quarrel in Walla Walla
Chas. Besserer, editor of the Walla Walla Watchman, shoots a brewer who threatened him, and is acquitted on grounds of self-defense.
- The Unbreakable Cycle of Juanita Blake
After weeks of prayer and reform attempts, a young woman acquitted of larceny heads straight back to the 'Blackchapel' district.
- Police Raids Falter in Jury Trials
A string of acquittals for women charged with running disorderly houses highlights the gap between police ambition and courtroom evidence.
- A Murder Case Cleared in Hours: Peter Brickley Sentenced to Life
In a swift Prosser court session, Brickley was tried and sentenced for the June killing of Charles Rasmussen, while other defendants pleaded or were acquitted.
- 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.
- Acquitted: A High-Stakes Business Feud at the Occidental Hotel
A local partnership dispute ends in court, leaving the complaining witness to foot the bill for legal costs.
- The Trial That Nearly Triggered a Lynching
A Whatcom jury's acquittal of George Bwiloos for a brutal murder left the town in an uproar, sparking a desperate, failed manhunt by local citizens.
- The Deadly Farce of Frontier Justice
When a Whatcom jury ignored the law to acquit a man who murdered his wife and her lover, the press decried an epidemic of 'momentary insanity' defense.
- Acquitted in Five Minutes: The Girl Accused of Poisoning a Child
A packed Seattle courtroom erupts when Hildegard Rundberg is cleared of murdering little Richard Parker with 'Death to Rats' rat poison — the jury needing barely five minutes to set her free.
- The Trial of 'Old Man' Robinson
A jury acquits a man accused of orchestrating a brutal ambush murder, leaving a partner to face the gallows alone.
- Acquitted by His Own Senate, and the Governor Says the People Will Judge Him
Washington's insurance commissioner beat all twelve impeachment charges on a 14-to-26 vote. Governor Hay called it a violation of the senators' oaths — and handed the case to the voters.
- Vigilante Mob Targets Ballard Policeman
A vigilante mob descended on a Ballard home demanding that an acquitted police officer flee the county within 24 hours.