The Price of Justice in Olympia
A legal fight over venue costs in 1892 sparks anxiety among Thurston County taxpayers, revealing the administrative strain of high-profile litigation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
OLYMPIA, Dec. 31, 1891. To the Editor: The trial of the case of the State vs. Albertson is set for January 11, 1892, at Olympia. It comes on a change of venue from Pierce County, and is liable to be an expense of seven or eight thousand dollars. The question that is now agitating our taxpayers is, Will Thurston or Pierce County have to stand this great expense? Times are close with us, and we do not want to pay the debts of Pierce County. But the more serious phase of the matter presents itself thus: If Thurston County pays any of this expense, can she compel Pierce County to reimburse her? Is there any statute that will compel the latter to stand such expense? Some claim that there is not, and an effort is being made to procure the opinion of the attorney-general as to the actual status of the laws of this state regarding this particular subject. Our county commissioners are very uneasy over the matter. - MEACUS
“Times are close with us, and we do not want to pay the debts of Pierce County.”
This 1892 dispute over legal costs for a change-of-venue trial perfectly echoes contemporary debates in Washington State regarding the fiscal burden placed on rural or smaller counties when they must host expensive, complex cases transferred from larger urban jurisdictions.
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