University of Washington Libraries, Special
Collections
5926 (Accession No.
5926-001)
Fox, Michael J. (Michael
James), 1944-
Michael Fox
papers
1961-1997
1971-1974
2.28 cubic feet (2 box)
Collection materials are in
English.
Records relating to Michael Fox's role
as a United Farmworkers of Washington lawyer
Judge Michael James Fox was born in New London, Connecticut in 1944.
During the 1960s, he became politically active in the Civil Rights Movement.
While attending law school in Georgia, Fox was part of the Legal Aid Society—an
organization that provided legal services to people from low-income
backgrounds. After law school, his experience with the Legal Aid Society
greatly influenced his decision to continue to help underrepresented people.
Having also acquired Spanish speaking skills, Fox became interested in working
with the large population of Spansih-speaking Latino/a farmworkers. In 1965,
the US Congress created the Office of Economic Opportunity which funded the
Legal Services Program, a private non-profit corporation providing legal
services to people living in poverty. In that same year, a strike of Filipino
American grape pickers in Delano, California gained the cooperation of Cesar
Chavez and others, who began organizing migrant agricultural workers in
California. Using the same organizing model, workers in Washington State
organized an independent branch of the United Farm Workers of Washington State
in 1967. In 1969, Fox moved to Washington through the Reginald Heber Smith
Fellowship, a program that places lawyers in areas to help those who do not
have access to legal aid, and discovered that the state had the fourth largest
migrant farmworker population in the country. In the following year, the
wildcat hop strikes began in the Yakima Valley. Fox connected with the
organizers of the hop strikes, Tomás Villanueva and Lupe Gamboa, and offered to
provide legal representation to the emerging farmworkers union. As the UFW
lawyer, Fox in Garza v. Patnode (1971) argued
successfully that farmworkers had the right to organize. In that same year, Fox
and Lupe Gamboa were arrested and convicted for trespassing onto the Roger’s
Walla Walla labor camp. Their convictions were eventually overturned and the
decision confirmed that tenants in labor camps had the right to meet with union
representatives and attorneys. Both cases were instrumental to the early
efforts of the union (see State v. Fox, 1973 ).
Fox continued to provide legal representation to the UFW until 1988. In that
year Fox became a King County Superior Court Judge. On the bench, Fox called
attention to the treatment of minorities in the legal system, particularly
related to drug sentencing. Fox retired in 2011 after a distinguished judicial
career.
Organized into 2 accessions.
- Accession No. 5926-001, Michael Fox papers, 1971-1974,
1994
- Accession No. 5926-002, Michael J. Fox papers, 1961-1997
This collection traces a series of legal cases arising out of the June
19, 1971 arrest for trespassing of Seattle-King County Legal Services attorney
Michael Fox and union organizer Guadalupe Gamboa of the UFW Co-op in Toppenish.
Fox and Gamboa visited the Rogers Walla Walla Inc. migrant labor camp following
Gamboa’s contact with workers there who had grievances regarding their working
and living conditions. When they attempted to meet with workers, Rogers
employees refused them entry without their naming the individuals they were
meeting with and the purpose of their meeting. Fox and Gamboa refused to
provide names, reasoning that employees named would be in potential danger of
losing their jobs or worse. Rogers representatives called the sheriff who
arrested Fox and Gamboa for trespassing and fined them $25 each. Fox and Gamboa
appealed their conviction to the Superior Court of the County of Walla Walla,
which affirmed the conviction in December 1971. Fox and Gamboa then appealed to
the Washington State Supreme Court, which reversed the finding of the Superior
Court in May 1973. This established an important precedent for future
organizers and attorneys in the state. The State of Washington sought a hearing
in the United State Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case. In
Fox v. Klundt [Walla Walla County Sheriff] et al
, Fox brought a civil suit against representatives of Rogers Walla Walla
for damages and received a settlement of $6,000. Records include legal
materials and newspaper articles relating to the court cases. Other records
relate to the State of Washington State v. Michael Fox,
1973.
No restrictions on access.
Request at UW
Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington
Libraries Special Collections.
Michael J. Fox, 2016.
Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of
Washington)
Labor unions--Washington (State)
Labor--Washington (State)
Labor movement--Washington
(State)
Labor union members--Washington
(State)
Records (Documents)
Personal correspondence
Legal instruments
Labor Archives of
Washington (University of Washington), host institution
Fox, Michael J. (Michael
James), 1944- --Archives
Fox, Michael J. (Michael
James), 1944- --Trials, litigation, etc
Washington (State)--Trials,
litigation, etc
Gamboa,
Guadalupe
Gamboa, Guadalupe--Trials,
litigation, etc
Labor Archives of Washington (University
of Washington)
United Farm Workers
Organizing Committee
Lawyers--Washington
(State)--Archives
Labor disputes--Washington
(State)
Agricultural
laborers--Washington (State)
Agricultural laborers--Labor
unions--Organizing--Washington (State)
Agricultural laborers--Labor
unions--Washington (State)
Migrant agricultural
laborers--Washington (State)
Migrant agricultural
laborers--Labor unions--Organizing--Washington (State)
Migrant agricultural
laborers--Labor unions--Washington (State)
Labor History
Labor Unions
Civil Rights
Latinos and Latinas
Agriculture
Accession No. 5926-001: Michael Fox papers, 1971-1974,
1994
1.14 cubic feet (1 box)
Scope and
Content: This collection traces a series of legal cases arising
out of the June 19, 1971 arrest for trespassing of Seattle-King County Legal
Services attorney Michael Fox and union organizer Guadalupe Gamboa of the UFW
Co-op in Toppenish. Fox and Gamboa visited the Rogers Walla Walla Inc. migrant
labor camp following Gamboa's contact with workers there who had grievances
regarding their working and living conditions. When they attempted to meet with
workers, Rogers employees refused them entry without their naming the
individuals they were meeting with and the purpose of their meeting. Fox and
Gamboa refused to provide names, reasoning that employees named would be in
potential danger of losing their jobs or worse. Rogers representatives called
the sheriff who arrested Fox and Gamboa for trespassing and fined them $25
each. Fox and Gamboa appealed their conviction to the Superior Court of the
County of Walla Walla, which affirmed the conviction in December 1971. Fox and
Gamboa then appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court, which reversed the
finding of the Superior Court in May 1973. This established an important
precedent for future organizers and attorneys in the state. The State of
Washington sought a hearing in the United State Supreme Court, which refused to
hear the case. In Fox v. Klundt [Walla Walla County Sheriff] et al, Fox brought
a civil suit against representatives of Rogers Walla Walla for damages and
received a settlement of $6,000. Records include legal materials and newspapers
articles relating to the court cases. Other records relate to the State of
Washington v. Michael Fox, 1973.
Restrictions on
Access: No restrictions on access.
Restrictions on
Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of
Washington Libraries Special Collections.
Acquisition
Info: Michael J. Fox, 2016
SERIES
I
COURT
CASES
1971-1974,1994
1/1
5926-001
Events of June 1971
1971
1/2
5926-001
Walla Walla County
Court
1971-1972
1/3
5926-001
Washington State Superior
Court, Walla Walla County
1971-1972
1/4
5926-001
Washington State Superior
Court, Walla Walla County
1972
1/5
5926-001
Preparation for State of
Washington v. Fox
1972
1/6
5926-001
Washington State Supreme Court,
State of Washington v. Fox Appeal--Part 1 of 6
1972
1/7
5926-001
Washington State Supreme Court,
State of Washington v. Fox Appeal--Part 2 of 6
1972
1/8
5926-001
Washington State Supreme Court,
State of Washington v. Fox Appeal--Part 3 of 6
1972
1/9
5926-001
Washington State Supreme Court,
State of Washington v. Fox Appeal--Part 4 of 6
1971-1972
1/10
5926-001
Washington State Supreme Court,
State of Washington v. Fox Appeal--Part 5 of 6
1972
1/11
5926-001
Washington State Supreme Court,
State of Washington v. Fox Appeal--Part 6 of 6
1972-1973
1/12
5926-001
U.S. District Court, Fox v.
Klundt--Part 1 of 2
1971-1972
1/13
5926-001
U.S. District Court, Fox v.
Klundt--Part 2 of 2
1971-1974
1/14
5926-001
U.S. Supreme Court--State of
Washington v. Fox
1973
1/15
5926-001
Additional Materials Related to
Court Cases
1974-1994
Accession No. 5926-002: Michael J. Fox papers, 1961-1997
(bulk 1970s)
1.14 cubic feet (1 carton)
Scope and
Content: This collection is primarily comprised of documents
relating to the State of Washington v. Fox court case and appeals process,
which spanned from 1971-1974. The case began on June 19th, 1971 when Michael
Fox and Guadalupe Gamboa were arrested for trespassing in a migrant workers
camp run by the Rogers Walla Walla Company. A transcript from the case relating
to the incident is in Box 1, Folder 5. After being found guilty in the District
court (Box 1, Folders 10 and 14), Fox and Gamboa took the case through the
appeals process where it finally was heard by the Washington State Supreme
Court, (Box 1, Folder 21-23). The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Fox and
Gamboa and therefore set a legal precedent of the right of lawyers and union
organizers to have access to migrant workers on private lands. The collection
contains documentation and transcripts from all of the trials as well as the
pre-trial correspondence between Fox and various organizations in his effort to
secure amicus briefs (Box 1, Folder 13-15). Multiple articles relating to the
case have also been placed into this collection (Box 1, Folders 4, 27 and 32).
In addition, there are articles about Michael Fox’s career as a judge (Box 1,
Folder 37, 38), as well as articles that Fox wrote or that he collected (Box 1,
Folders 26, 30, 31, 34 and 35).
Restrictions on
Access: No restrictions on access.
Restrictions on
Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of
Washington Libraries Special Collections.
Acquisition
Info: Donated by Michael Fox in March 2016.
1/1
5926-002
Photo with law school classmate, December
1997
December
29, 1997
1/2
5926-002
Loomis school Founder's Day program, 1961
October 7,
1961
1/3
5926-002
Oferta de Empleo Rogers Walla Walla
May 24,
1905
1/4
5926-002
Newspaper Articles regarding Fox and Gamboa
Arrest
May 24-25,
1905
1/5
5926-002
Fox Transcript at Migrant Labor Camp
June 19,
1971
1/6
5926-002
Fox correspondence with Mr. Hahner
September
26-29, 1972
1/7
5926-002
Inspection of Walla Walla Labor Camp
June 22,
1971
1/8
5926-002
United States Supreme Court, State of Washington vs Fox
and Gamboa writ of certiorari
October 1,
1973
1/9
5926-002
State of Washington vs Fox and Gamboa brief of
respondent
May 26,
1973
1/10
5926-002
United States District Court Fox vs Klundt, Ray, Tone,
Lang and Rogers
July 1,
1971
1/11
5926-002
Washington State Supreme Court No. 42339 State of
Washington vs Fox and Gamboa Appeal
July 7,
1972
1/12
5926-002
Superior Court of Washington No. 60010, Washington vs
Fox and Gamboa
February
28, 1972
1/13
5926-002
Letters to Mario Obledo and Hugh Hafer from Michael
Fox
August
2-November 30, 1971
1/14
5926-002
Walla Walla DIstrict Justice Court No.37462, Washington
vs Gamboa
June
19-July 15, 1971
1/15
5926-002
Washington State Supreme Court Pre-trial
correspondence
September
22, 1971-October 2, 1972
1/16
5926-002
Superior Court of Washington No. 60010, Proposed
findings of facts and conclusions
January 6,
1972
1/17
5926-002
Pre-Trial Court case filings
June 1,
1971-May 1, 1972
1/18
5926-002
Fox vs Klundt Consent Decree and Judgement, with
correspondence
April 17,
1974-April 1, 1975
1/19
5926-002
Office of Legal Services Amicus Brief, Washington
Supreme Court No. 42339
May 26,
1973
1/20
5926-002
National Legal Aid and Defender Association Amicus
Brief, Washington Supreme Court
May 26,
1973
1/21
5926-002
Superior Court of Washington No. 60010, Statement of
Facts [Part 1 of 3]
December
9, 1971
1/22
5926-002
Superior Court of Washington No. 60010, Statement of
Facts [Part 2 of 3]
December
9-10, 1971
1/23
5926-002
Superior Court of Washington No. 60010, Statement of
Facts [Part 3 of 3]
December
10, 1971
1/24
5926-002
United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals No.
83-3608, 84-4148 Laduke vs Nelson
March 6,
1985
1/25
5926-002
United States Eastern district of Washington No.
C-77-356 LaDuke vs Nelson
June 28,
1984
1/26
5926-002
"Planning and Conducting a Coordinated Discovery
Program" Washington State Bar News
January 1,
1981
1/27
5926-002
Washington vs Fox Case Summary No. 42339
May 1,
1973
1/28
5926-002
United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals No. 83-3870
Ingram v Fentron Building Products
April
April 1984
1/29
5926-002
Garza v Patnode No. 25255 Facts and
Judgements
May 5,
1971
1/30
5926-002
"Call me Juror" New York Times Article
January
10, 1992
1/31
5926-002
"My World with Louis Armstrong" by Charles L. Black
Jr
June 1,
1905
1/32
5926-002
Court Review Volume 31 Number 3 Fall 1994
June 16,
1905
1/33
5926-002
Letter from Bernard Lang to Governor Gardner about
Michael Fox
January 8,
1988
1/34
5926-002
Avalon Project, George Washington Farewell Address
1796
November
27, 2000
1/35
5926-002
Yale Alumni Article, Dave Henderson
March 1,
1991
1/36
5926-002
Newspaper Articles About Lupe Gamboa
November
10, 1968-March 1, 1994
1/37
5926-002
Bar Bulletin Articles
November
1, 1991-January 1, 1992
1/38
5926-002
Washington Journal Judicial Profile of Michael
Fox
October
24, 1994