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Petaluma Justice Court and Petaluma Judicial District Court records, 1895-1968
SCG.00019
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Collection Title: Petaluma Justice Court and Petaluma Judicial District Court records,
Date (inclusive): 1895-1968
Identification: SCG.00019
Creator:
California. Justice Court (Petaluma, Calif.)
California. Municipal Court (Petaluma Judicial District)
Physical Description:
56 volumes
Language of Materials:
English
Repository:
Sonoma County Library Archives
c/o Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library, Sonoma County Library
725 Third Street
Santa Rosa, CA,
Email:
history@sonomalibrary.org
Phone:
(707) 308-3212
Abstract: This collection contains records that provide details on the operations of the Petaluma Justice Court, including lists of
jurors, offences etc. Collection includes the justice docket (i.e., criminal justice docket) for the Petaluma Justice Court
in Sonoma County, California between 1895 and 1918 (titles of volumes in the justice docket vary); the criminal justice docket
for the Petaluma Justice Court and its successor, the Petaluma Judicial District Court, in Sonoma County, California between
1918 and 1955 (the titles of volumes in the Criminal Justice Docket also vary); the civil docket for the Petaluma Justice
Court and its successor, the Petaluma Judicial District Court, in Sonoma County, California, between 1898 and 1968.; and the
register of arrests for the Petaluma Justice Court, in Sonoma County, California, between 1911 and 1927.
Biography/Organization History
Prior to June 1998, California's trial courts consisted of Superior and Municipal courts, each with its own jurisdiction and
with its number of judges fixed by the Legislature; prior to 1951, the Petaluma Justice Court was one of twelve such inferior
courts in the County. The Justice Court (also known as the Petaluma Justice's Court; more formally designated as the State
of California's Justice Court for Petaluma), had jurisdiction over the City of Petaluma and surrounding area of southern Sonoma
County, California.
The Petaluma court, like other justice courts, was an inferior local tribunal for the adjudication of minor causes and the
preservation of the peace. By the Act of March 16, 1850, which divided up the state into judicial districts, "the term of
office of a justice of the peace was fixed at one year. Two justices were allowed to each township, also two constables, the
officers who serve the processes of the court. The jurisdiction of a justice extended to the limits of the township for which
he was elected. He had cognizance of actions on contract, for damages, and to recover specific property, when the amount or
value did not exceed $200. In 1851, his powers were considerably increased. He had jurisdiction of actions to recover money,
for damages to personal property, for fines, penalties and forfeitures, actions on bonds, enforcement of lien on personal
property, actions to recover personal property and judgment by confession, where the amount in all these cases did not exceed
$8,500, and on a bond taken by him if the amount did exceed that sum, cases of forcible entry and detainer, and the trial
of the right of mining claims. The criminal jurisdiction embraced vagrancy, disorder, petty larceny, assault and battery,
breaches of the peace, and all misdemeanors punishable by a fine of not more than $500 and not more than one year's imprisonment.
In 1863, forcible entry and detainer cases were transferred to the county court, and the civil jurisdiction was reduced to
amounts not exceeding $300. In 1870, the jurisdiction of cases of misdemeanor was extended to fines of $1,000 and imprisonment
for one year: but in 1874 it was reduced to fines of $500 and six months' imprisonment. In 1863, the term of office of justices
and constables was increased to two years. The new constitution preserved the justice courts as before." (source: Wells, Harry
Laurenz, 1854-1940. History of Butte County. San Francisco : H. L. Wells, 1882.)
The Petaluma Justice Court was reorganized in 1952 as part of the State of California's inferior court reorganization program
authorized by the voters as California Proposition 3 in 1950, which combined the offices of the township justices of the peace
and city police court judges; the Petaluma Justice Court and other, local municipal courts were combined as the Petaluma Judicial
District Court or more formally, the State of California's Municipal Court for the Petaluma Judicial District) on Jan. 1,
1952.
A number of other reorganizations and consolidations of the County's District Courts took place over the next four decades
until the District Courts and other inferior courts were absorbed into the Superior Court following another voter-authorized
reorganization in 1998, California Proposition 220.
This collection of records provides information on the operations of the Petaluma Justice Court, including lists of jurors,
with divisions by type of offence etc
Organized into four series:
- Justice docket, 1895-1918
- Criminal justice docket, 1918-1968
- Civil justice docket, 1898-1955
- Register of arrests, 1911-1927
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.
California. Justice Court (Petaluma, Calif.)
Civil procedure--California--Petaluma
Civil court records
Registers (lists)
Dockets
Arrests (legal events)
Judicial records
Municipal government records
State government records
Archival materials
Important Information for Users of the Collection
Materials stored offsite, but collection is open to research. In many cases, further details on individual volumes can be
found by calling staff at the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library. To view these materials, please call staff at
707 308-3212 to request they be brought from the Archives to the Library
Conditions of Use
Collection does not circulate and may be photocopied or photographed by arrangement only.
Property rights reside with the Sonoma County Library. The Sonoma County Library has made this collection available and believes
that the collection is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its
copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Collection may not be in the Public Domain under the laws
of other countries. Preferred credit line is: Courtesy, the Sonoma County Library. Please see additional reproduction and
reuse information at
https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/sonoma-county-history-and-genealogy-library/order-photo
Petaluma Justice Court records, 1895-1968. SCG.00018, Sonoma County Archives, Sonoma County Library, Rohnert Park, California.