Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Seattle Justice Court Liquor Search Dockets, 1923-1944
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Washington (State). Municipal Court (Seattle)
- Title
- Seattle Justice Court Liquor Search Dockets
- Dates
- 1923-1944 (inclusive)19231944
1923-1932 (bulk)19231932 - Quantity
- 8 volumes
- Collection Number
- 5604-01
- Summary
- Record of warrants issued by Justice Court to search for illegally possessed alcohol during Prohibition era.
- Repository
-
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Records are open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
State law in 1891 created a Municipal Court system that included a Justice Court and Police Court. The Justice Court was a “court of limited jurisdiction” under the purview of King County. (In contrast, the city of Seattle was the parent agency for the Police Court.) The justices of the peace on the bench of the Justice Court dealt with misdemeanors, traffic offenses, minor civil suits, and small claims, and also heard liquor-related cases during Prohibition. More serious cases were referred to the county’s Superior Court. In 1961, the Washington State Justice Court Act combined the Justice Court and the District Court into one entity, a change that was adopted by King County in 1962.
Prohibition in Washington State began in 1916, three years before the U.S. Constitution was amended to outlaw the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol on a national level. The state law was less draconian – county auditors were allowed to grant permits to import limited amounts of alcohol – but was still widely violated. Bootleggers and rumrunners did a thriving business supplying Washingtonians with illegal liquor, and many people built stills to manufacture their own. Until Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Seattle civic leaders cracked down on this activity to varying degrees. Mayor Hiram Gill was among the more severe, establishing a widely criticized “Dry Squad” to raid businesses and homes suspected of violating the ban.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Record of warrants issued by Justice Court to search for illegally possessed alcohol. Includes address of search, date, officer’s name, and description of seized liquor and equipment (if any). Volume 8 (Liquor Search Docket) and Volume 2 (Liquor Search Warrant Docket) also contain names of individuals who were targets of searches. Seized liquor varied from amounts as small as half a pint to thousands of bottles. Officers also seized stills, mash, funnels, and jugs.
Liquor Search Dockets from 1938 to 1942 are held by the King County Archives. In addition, the Puget Sound Branch of the Washington State Archives holds one Liquor Search Docket dated 1924-1926 and one journal listing liquor search warrants dated 1923-1925.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Seattle Justice Court Liquor Search Dockets, Record Series 5604-01. Volume [number], Page [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Seattle Justice Court Liquor Search Dockets, 1923-1944Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Volume | ||
1 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1923/11-1925/03 |
2 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1925/03-1926/09 |
3 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1926/09-1927/07 |
4 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1927/07-1929/01 |
2 | Liquor Search Warrant
Docket |
1927/08-1928/11 |
5 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1929/01-1931/01 |
6 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1931/01-1932/10 |
8 | Liquor Search
Docket |
1944/05-1944/05 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Alcoholic beverages--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Law enforcement--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Municipal courts--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Prohibition--Washington (State)--Seattle
Corporate Names
- Washington (State). Municipal Court (Seattle)
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Court records--Washington (State)--Seattle