The Mayor and the Judge Clash Over Profanity
A power struggle in Seattle’s municipal court erupted when the mayor and city prosecutor refused to follow a judge's orders to prosecute a case involving a 'cursing' boat captain.
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The prospect of Mayor Ronald and City Prosecuting Attorney Fortson being tried and sent to jail for contempt of court will afford the hoodlums and loafers in daily attendance at the police court considerable gratification. The facts leading up to the case: On the Fourth of July, Harbor Master Jelich arrested Thomas Donovan, a boat master, for using profane, abusive and obscene language. When the case came to trial, Donovan admitted telling Jelich to 'go to hell.' Judge Glasgow, hearing that Donovan had used 'the vilest language imaginable' in front of women and children, ordered a jury trial. However, the prosecutor, acting on the advice of Mayor Ronald, refused to proceed with the case, claiming the matter was settled. Judge Glasgow demanded the case be prosecuted, setting up a showdown on Thursday to see if the city's leadership could be held in contempt for their refusal to obey the court's command.
“I now command you, Mr. Fortson, to prosecute this case.”
Conflicts between local executive power and the judiciary are a perennial feature of Seattle politics. This 1893 standoff highlights the ongoing friction over who holds the authority to decide which crimes are prosecuted, a debate that remains front-and-center in modern discussions of city attorney and judicial discretion.
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