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Redwood Township Justice Court and Redwood Judicial District Court records,

 Collection
Identifier: SCG.00023

Scope and Contents

Official documents.

Arrangement of the collection Organized into two series:

  • Criminal docket, 1937-1964
  • Small claims court, 1960-1963
  • Dates

    • Creation: 1937-1964

    Language of Materials

    English

    Conditions Governing Access:

    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 link to request they be brought from the Archives to the Library

    Conditions Governing Access:

    In many cases, further details on individual volumes can be learned by calling staff at the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library. To see these materials, please call staff at (707) 308-3212 to request they be brought from the Archives to the Library

    Conditions Governing Use

    Collection does not circulate and may be photocopied or photographed by arrangement only.

    Publication Rights

    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 link

    Court 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 Redwood Township Justice Court was one of twelve such inferior courts in the County. The Justice Court (also known as the Redwood Township Justice's Court; more formally designated as the State of California's Justice Court for Redwood Township), had jurisdiction over Redwood Township in northwestern Sonoma County, California, which included the City of Guerneville, Monte Rio, Jenner, Fort Ross and other coastal and inland settlements.

    The Redwood 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 Redwood Township 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 Redwood Township Justice Court and Sebastopol City Police Court were combined as the Redwood Judicial District Court or more formally, the State of California's Municipal Court for the Redwood Judicial District) on Jan. 1, 1952. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance on April 14, 1959 that authorized annexation of Redwood Judicial District by the Santa Rosa Municipal District, pending authorization by the State Legislature to provide a second judge for the Santa Rosa Municipal District.

    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.

    Biographical / Historical

    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 Redwood Township Justice Court was one of twelve such inferior courts in the County. The Justice Court (also known as the Redwood Township Justice's Court; more formally designated as the State of California's Justice Court for Redwood Township), had jurisdiction over Redwood Township in northwestern Sonoma County, California, which included the City of Guerneville, Monte Rio, Jenner, Fort Ross and other coastal and inland settlements.

    The Redwood 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 Redwood Township 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 Redwood Township Justice Court and Sebastopol City Police Court were combined as the Redwood Judicial District Court or more formally, the State of California's Municipal Court for the Redwood Judicial District) on Jan. 1, 1952. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance on April 14, 1959 that authorized annexation of Redwood Judicial District by the Santa Rosa Municipal District, pending authorization by the State Legislature to provide a second judge for the Santa Rosa Municipal District.

    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.

    Extent

    8 Volumes

    Abstract

    Collection contains Redwood Township Justice Court records, including matters relating to Fish and Game. Records are variously titled as "Criminal Docket" or "Criminal Justice Docket." Includes the criminal justice docket for the Redwood Township Justice Court and its successor, the Redwood Judicial District Court, in Sonoma County, California between 1937 and 1964 and Small Claims Court docket for the Redwood Judicial District Court, in Sonoma County, California, between 1960 and 1963.

    Arrangement of the collection

    Organized into two series:

    1. Criminal docket, 1937-1964
    2. Small claims court, 1960-1963

    Chronological by volume.

    Title
    Redwood Township Justice Court and Redwood Judicial District Court records, 1937-1964
    Author
    Finding aid author: Mark Cooper.
    Date
    Published Feb 28, 2011
    Description rules
    Finding Aid Prepared Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Second Edition Dacs
    Language of description
    English
    Script of description
    Latin
    Language of description note
    Finding aid written in:English

    Repository Details

    Part of the Sonoma County Archives Repository

    Contact:
    725 3rd St.
    Santa Rosa CA 95404 United States