Research

Scope and Content Note

These records document the settlement of civil and criminal cases by the governor and council sitting as the Court of Assizes. The court tried appeals of lower court decisions and served as an equity court to try cases to which no specific legal provisions applied.

The records concern cases such as: disputes over land titles; unpaid debts; disputes over inheritances; illegal sale of liquor; and attempted murder.

The series contains 1. Warrants: name of plaintiff and defendant(s), nature of complaint or cause, and order for specified person(s) to appear at Court on a specified date; 2. Lists of petitions, appeals, and other causes to be heard at Court sessions for each year; 3. Summaries of trial proceedings: name of plaintiff, defendant(s), attorneys, jurors, and witnesses, summary of testimony, brief description of documents cited as evidence, jury's verdict, and court's orders upon hearing verdict (e.g. heirs to receive specified compensation, debts to be paid, etc.).

These records sustained severe burn damage in the 1911 State Capitol fire.