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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1859 | 3 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 5 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1871 | 3 |
| 1872 | 11 |
| 1876 | 22 |
| 1877 | 17 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 5 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 23 |
| 1884 | 15 |
| 1885 | 20 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 16 |
| 1888 | 19 |
| 1889 | 50 |
| 1890 | 5 |
| 1891 | 67 |
| 1892 | 85 |
| 1893 | 66 |
| 1894 | 95 |
| 1895 | 128 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1897 | 4 |
| 1898 | 13 |
| 1899 | 28 |
| 1902 | 4 |
| 1903 | 47 |
| 1904 | 30 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1908 | 11 |
| 1909 | 41 |
| 1910 | 6 |
| 1911 | 5 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 13 |
| 1916 | 20 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 2 |
941 stories matching opinion
- The Corruption of the Bench
A scathing look at alleged corporate influence over the Washington State Supreme Court and the systemic capture of justice.
- The High School Building Scandal
A legal opinion alleges the Walla Walla School Board acted illegally by building a new high school without taxpayer authorization and exceeding constitutional debt limits.
- The Fight to Bring the Stubblefield Home to Walla Walla
Legal opinion finds county commissioners are authorized to donate public funds to secure a landmark charitable trust.
- The Daily Paper War: How Seattle’s Press Attacked Its Peers
In an era of mudslinging, the Post-Intelligencer battles a rival for misrepresenting its stance on international news and moral standards.
- The Fight Over the Stubblefield Home
Walla Walla's civic leaders spar with the county attorney over the legality of funding a home for orphaned children.
- The Map That Wasn’t Evidence May Reopen a State Boundary Fight
Washington’s special attorney says the Supreme Court relied on a colored map never introduced in the Oregon-Washington boundary case.
- The Bureaucratic Limbo of Chinese Laborers in Transit
A legal opinion from the Attorney General clarifies the treatment of Chinese laborers attempting to pass through U.S. ports, stalling those stuck in New Orleans.
- The Streetcar Men Asked Seattle to Set Their Wages. The City's Lawyer Said No.
A union petition to write conductor and motorman pay into the street railway franchise ran into the corporation counsel's constitutional wall — so the council sent it back to committee to try again as an ordinance.
- City Attorney Blocks Olympia’s Columbia Street Assessment
A legal opinion found that street grading and planking done without contracts could not be charged to abutting owners beyond $500—putting more than $2,000 in assessments in doubt.
- Who Should Pay for the City's Sick?
A legal dispute over whether the City of Seattle or King County is responsible for the medical care of the indigent.
- The Legal Limits of Game Warden Searches
A state legal opinion clarifies that officers cannot search cars for game without a warrant or probable cause, unless it is in plain view.
- The City Hall Tug-of-War Over Power
A legal opinion opens the door for a private utility to power a public school, sparking a heated debate over city charter boundaries.
- The City’s Legal Train Wreck
A ruling against Tacoma’s property tax scheme for street improvements threatens to bankrupt local progress, leaving the city in a legislative stalemate.
- The Health Officer's Ultimatum
Dr. Palmer declares he will no longer pick up the slack for the city's refusal to fund indigent medical care.
- A Judge Ate Candy While a Man's Life Hung on the Verdict
The state supreme court overturns a Jefferson County murder conviction after Judge Sachs reads newspapers and passes sweets on the bench — and delivers a rebuke that is the longest opinion of the term.
- Tacoma Taxpayer Victory Forces City Refund
A landmark court ruling forces the City of Tacoma to refund thousands of dollars in invalid tax titles.
- The Legal War Against River Traps
A legal opinion from Judge Scott challenges the right of private interests to use fishing traps on tidal lands, arguing they violate public trust.
- The Best Birds for the Seattle Barnyard
A local expert’s guide to the poultry breeds that promise the most eggs and the heartiest meals for the pioneer household.
- A Municipal Technicality Leaves Aberdeen Officials Jobless
A legal opinion concerning dual office-holding triggers a sudden, awkward vacancy for city staff.
- Court Overturns Conviction in Saloon Killing
The Washington Supreme Court grants a new trial to James Murphy, who murdered a bartender for refusing to serve him liquor.
- The Day the Territorial Supreme Court Killed Women's Suffrage in Washington
In a landmark test case from May 1902, Judge Sash ruled that the Organic Act of Washington Territory only granted voting rights to males, effectively striking down local efforts to enfranchise women.
- Vancouver Paper Acknowledges Sympathy for Expelling Chinese Residents
A 1885 dispatch from the Vancouver Independent reveals the chilling, unchecked spread of anti-Chinese sentiment as communities across the Washington Territory debated the forced removal of residents.
- The Doctors Declare War: Seattle's Health Board Orders the Schools Shut as Scarlet Fever Spreads
Backed by a city attorney's opinion, the board of health gives the school board an ultimatum — close the Rainier and South schools by nine o'clock Friday morning or the police will do it for them.
- The Struggle for the Seattle Extension
While rail workers at the Union Pacific worried over rumors of massive layoffs and the consolidation of agencies, hope remained that the vital Seattle line construction would resume with the spring thaw.
- The War Over the Desert Water
An irrigation landowner at White Bluffs vows a 'fight to a finish' against corporate power companies for reneging on water contracts.