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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 7 |
| 1893 | 12 |
| 1894 | 15 |
| 1895 | 17 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1903 | 6 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 2 |
75 stories matching overrul
- The Mayor Who Acted as Judge, Jury, and Prosecutor
In 1892, a high-stakes power struggle over city contracts led to a surreal administrative trial where the Mayor of Seattle presided over his own accusations against the Board of Public Works.
- A South Seattle Murder Case Becomes a Constitutional Test
Henry Craemer’s court-appointed lawyer argued that Washington could not try a capital case on a prosecutor’s information. Judge Humes said it could; Craemer pleaded not guilty and began hunting for an alibi witness lost in the Cascades.
- The Yesler Forgery Scandal
The legal drama surrounding Mrs. Yesler, a member of one of Seattle's most prominent founding families, continues to divide the courtroom.
- Victory for Pacific Trade: Livestock Embargo Lifted
After an intense local lobbying campaign, the President has overruled Treasury officials to allow livestock exports from the Pacific coast.
- The Six-Hour Coup
A corrupt acting mayor attempts to replace the police chief to open the city to gamblers, only to be overruled upon the mayor’s return.
- Convicted in Five Days: The 1877 Murder Case That Shocked a Seattle Editor
After Solomon Baxter was killed, John Thompson went from arrest to a first-degree murder conviction in less than a week. The local paper called it a 'summary proceeding' with no parallel in American law.
- The Hangman's Verdict: John Thompson Convicted of Murder in Snohomish
A trial that captivated the entire Territory ends with a death sentence for a man accused of killing his friend during a drunken brawl over a card game.
- Fifteen Minutes to Confess: The Morphine Trial of Port Townsend's Captain De Lion
A former mayor, Chilean consul and dry-dock promoter worth half a million dollars sits in superior court while his emaciated wife describes a year of morphine, delusion and a pocket watch set on the table between them.
- The 'Hell-Trap' Murderer Sentenced to Ten Years
A man who built a lethal spring-gun trap in a remote cabin is sentenced for the death of a laborer who simply sought shelter from the cold.
- A Gunfight on Marion Street: The Clerk Who Shot a Seattle Policeman
Harry Good was bound over for attempted murder after a running shootout that left Officer Glasscock wounded and the downtown force scrambling.
- The First Death Sentence in Stevens County
After a murder conviction for the killing of his housekeeper, William Frederick Jahns faces the gallows in a landmark legal case for the region.
- A High-Stakes Battle for Everett’s Future
Federal court rules in $700,000 estate fraud case involving minors and the early developers of the city of Everett.
- The Fight for Women’s Right to Serve on Juries
Prominent attorneys challenge the presence of female jurors in Washington territory, igniting a constitutional battle.
- A Jury Played Cards While a Murder Case Hung in the Balance
Convicted murderer Murphy was sentenced to fifteen years—again—as his lawyer attacked a jury that reportedly spent its 42-hour deliberation playing whist and pedro.
- Water War Hits Federal Court
A legal fight over irrigation rights moves from local courts to the federal circuit, testing whether government officers can be overruled by state injunctions.
- A Judge Calls the County-Seat Law ‘Nefarious’
Judge Ballinger dismisses Snohomish’s appeal over moving the county seat to Everett, blasting officials for defiance and the legislature for a law that leaves the court powerless.
- The Wild Council Deadlock of Ellensburg
After months of political stalemate, kidnapping threats, and accusations of illegal voting, the founder of Ellensburg is finally ousted from the mayor's office.
- The Northern Pacific Railway's 'Double Cross' of Tacoma
Local boosters vow to fight for recognition after the railroad cancels a promised tourism advertisement promoting Mt. Tacoma at the behest of Seattle interests.
- Major Victory for Settlers on Indian Reservation Lands
A federal decision reverses a precedent, ruling that reservation land is not subject to railroad grants.
- The Right to Vote Should Not Be an Obstacle Course
A Seattle judge strikes down a restrictive registration law that forced foreign-born citizens to constantly prove their naturalization status.
- The Professor, the President, and the Champagne College Deal
A legislative investigation at Pullman exposes secret opposition, abandoned building plans, and site-selection hospitality that included brass bands and champagne.
- The Meller Murder Trial: A Widower’s Sobs and a Defendant’s Blank Stare
George Craemer goes on trial for the murder of Mrs. Meller, as her husband and two young daughters watch the jury chosen and the prosecutor promises to tie a hammer to the defendant.
- Judge Greene Slaps Down Legal Nitpicking
A Territorial judge refuses to let a clerical error in the law strip working teamsters of their property exemptions.
- Death Sentence for Charles Clarke
A judge in Olympia denies a new trial for a man convicted of murdering a 'sporting woman,' setting the date for his execution.
- 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.
Also about this, in other words
- Judge Overrules Jury in Controversial Assault Case
Despite a guilty verdict for assault with a deadly weapon, the judge intends to sentence the defendant for a minor charge.
- The Knife in the Overcoat: A Seattle Street Fight
A local businessman outsmarts two footpads on a dark corner of Battery Street.
- The Overcoat Thief Is at Work in This City
A wave of coat thefts sweeps through Seattle hotels and lodgings; one suspect is caught red-handed with a warrant.
- The One-Ton Ring That Bore Three Tons—and Left a Worker Paralyzed
Thomas O’Leary was repairing the City of Kingston when a bad iron ring gave way. He sued for $2,500, bedridden from the chest down, as doctors called him a cripple for life.