The Seduction of a Judge: Wickersham Indicted in Tacoma
Territorial Grand Jury Returns True Bill Against Probate Judge James Wickersham for Alleged Seduction of Miss Sadie C. Brantuar; He Arraigned and Given Until Noon to Plead.
A true bill was returned by the territorial grand jury yesterday afternoon against Probate Judge James Wickersham of Tacoma for the seduction of Miss Sadie C. Brantuar. Judge Wickersham was in court when the indictment was returned, and was duly arraigned and given until noon to-day to plead.
This 1890 indictment highlights the precarious nature of judicial ethics in Washington's territorial days, where a judge's personal conduct could instantly dismantle his public authority. It serves as an early reminder that accountability for powerful figures is not a modern invention, but a constant struggle against the impunity often afforded to the elite.
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