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Sonoma County Court of Sessions records

 Collection
Identifier: SCG-00047

Scope and Contents

Minutes of criminal cases.

Arrangement of the collection Organized into three series:

  • Records--register, 1857-1862
  • Minute book, 1857-1863
  • Judgment book, 1858-1859

    • Dates

    • Creation: 1857-1863

    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 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

    Establishment and Abolishment of the Court of Sessions

    The first Constitution of the State of California, which was ratified by the people of California on 13 November 1849, directed that the County Judge of each California county along with two Justices of the Peace “shall hold Courts of Sessions with such criminal jurisdiction as the Legislature shall prescribe.” Five months later, on 11 April 1850, the California Legislature dutifully fulfilled its constitutional obligation and passed “An Act to organize the Court of Sessions.” This act stipulated that each Court of Sessions was to be composed of the County Judge, acting as the presiding Judge, and two Justices of the Peace, as Associates Justices, elected by all the Justices of the Peace of the County. In addition to its judicial role, the Court, in lieu of a Board of Supervisors, was to have broad administrative duties in each county which included powers to:

  • make such orders respecting the property of the County as they may deem expedient, in conformity with any law of the State, and to take care of, and preserve such property,
  • examine, settle, and allow all accounts chargeable against such County, and to direct the raising of such sums, by taxation on property, real and personal, in such County, not to exceed, however, the one-half of the tax levied by the State on such property, as may be necessary to defray all expenses and charges against such County,
  • examine and audit the accounts of all officers having the care, management, collection, and disbursement of any money belonging to the County, or appropriated by law, or otherwise, for its use and benefit,
  • have the control and management of public roads, turnpikes, ferries, canals, roads, and bridges, within the County, where law does not prohibit such jurisdiction; and to make such orders as may be necessary and requisite to carry such control and management into effect,
  • divide the County into townships, and to create new townships, and change the divisions of the same, as the convenience of the County may require,
  • establish and change election precincts,
  • control and manage the property, real and personal, belonging to the County, and to purchase and receive by donation, any property, real and personal, for the use and benefit of the County: Provided, however, that the Court of Sessions shall not have power to purchase any real or personal property, except such as may be absolutely necessary for the use of the County,
  • sell, and cause to be conveyed, any real estate, goods, or chattels belonging to their County, appropriating the proceeds of such sale to the use of the same,
  • cause to be erected and furnished, a Court House, Jail, and such other public buildings as may be necessary, and the same to be kept in repair, and
  • do and perform all such other acts and things as may be requisite and necessary to the full discharge of the powers and jurisdiction conferred on such Court, and which may be enjoined on it by law.

    • End notes

    1. Constitution of the State of California, 1849, Article VI (Judicial Department), section 8.
    2. The Statutes of California, Passed at the First Session of the Legislature, Begun the 15th Day of Dec. 1849, and Ended the 22nd Day of April, 1850, at the City of Pueblo San José (San José: J. Winchester, State Printer, 1850 ), pp. 210–211, Chap. 86, “An Act to Organize the Court of Sessions.”
    3. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Third Session of the Legislature, Begun on the Fifth of January, 1852, and Ended on the Fourth Day of May, 1852, at the Cities of Vallejo and Sacramento (San Francisco: G. K. Fitch & Co., and 5. E. Geiger & Co., State Printers, 1852 ), pp. 87–89, Chap. XXXVIII, “An Act to create a Board of Supervisors for the Counties of this State, and to define their duties and powers.”
    4. Sonoma County, California, certificates of election for David O. Shattuck, William A. Hereford, and James Singley dated 19 June 1852 and L. P. Hanson dated 24 June 1852 ; Sonoma County Archives, Santa Rosa.
    5. Thompson, Robert A.. Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Sonoma County, California (Philadelphia: L. H. Everts and Co., 1877 ), 18.
    6. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Fourteenth Session of the Legislature, 1863: Begun on Monday, the Fifth Day of January, and Ended on Monday, the Twenty-seventh Day of April (Sacramento: Benj. P. Avery, State Printer, 1863 ), pp. 333–346, Chap. CCLX, “An Act Concerning the Courts of Justice of this State, and Judicial Officers.”
    7. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Fifteenth Session of the Legislature, 1863–4: Began on Monday, the Seventh Day of December, Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-three, and Ended on Monday, the Fourth Day of April, Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-four (Sacramento: O. M. Clayes, State Printer, 1864 ), pp. 1–4, Chap. 1, “An Act providing for the Transfer of Cases, on the first day of January next, to the Courts established by the present Constitution.”
    8. The Statutes of California, Passed at the First Session of the Legislature, Begun the 15th Day of Dec. 1849, and Ended the 22nd Day of April, 1850, at the City of Pueblo San José (San José: J. Winchester, State Printer, 1850 ), pp. 210–211, Chap. 86, “An Act to Organize the Court of Sessions.”
    9. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Second Session of the Legislature: Begun on [6 January 1851], and Ended on [1 May 1851], at the City of San Jose (n.p.: Eugene Casserly, State Printer, 1851 ), pp. 31–34, Chap. 2, “An Act amending an Act entitled ‘An Act concerning the Courts of Justice of this State and Judicial Officers’,” specifically p. 34, § 11. This act amended a previous act by adding the hearing and determining appeals from Mayors’ Courts in cases of a criminal nature to the Court of Sessions’ jurisdiction. See, The Statutes of California, Passed at the Second Session of the Legislature: Begun on [6 January 1851], and Ended on [1 May 1851], at the City of San Jose (n.p.: Eugene Casserly, State Printer, 1851 ), pp. 9–31, Chap. 1, “An Act concerning the Courts of Justice of this State, and Judicial Officers,” specifically p. 19, § 66.
    10. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Second Session of the Legislature: Begun on [6 January 1851], and Ended on [1 May 1851], at the City of San Jose (n.p.: Eugene Casserly, State Printer, 1851 ), pp. 9–31, Chap. 1, “An Act concerning the Courts of Justice of this State, and Judicial Officers,” specifically p. 19, § 67.
    11. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Fourth Session of the Legislature, Begun on [3 January 1853], and Ended on [19 May 1853], at the Cities of Vallejo and Benicia (San Francisco: George Kerr, State Printer, 1853 ), pp. 287–305, Chap. CLXXX, “An Act Concerning the Courts of Justice of this State, and Judicial Officers.”
    12. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Fourth Session of the Legislature, Begun on [3 January 1853], and Ended on [19 May 1853], at the Cities of Vallejo and Benicia (San Francisco: George Kerr, State Printer, 1853 ), pp. 287–305, Chap. CLXXX, “An Act Concerning the Courts of Justice of this State, and Judicial Officers,” specifically p. 295, sections 52 and 53.
    13. The Statutes of California Passed at the Fifth Session of the Legislature, Begun on [4 January 1854], and Ended on [15 May 1854], at the Cities of Benicia and Sacramento (Sacramento: B. B. Redding, State Printer, 1854 ), pp. 28–29, Chap. XX, “An Act to amend an Act entitled ‘An Act concerning the Courts of Justice of this State and Judicial officers,’ passed May, nineteenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-three,” specifically p. 29, sections 7 and 8.
    14. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Eleventh Session of the Legislature, 1860. Begun Monday, [2 January 1860], and Ended on Monday, [13 April 1860] (Sacramento: Charles T. Botts, State Printer, 1860 ), p. 31, Chap. LV, “An Act to amend an Act entitled ‘An Act concerning the Courts of Justice of this State and Judicial officers,’ approved May nineteenth, on thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, and an Act amendatory thereof, approved April thirteenth, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.”
    15. The Statutes of California, Passed at the Fourteenth Session of the Legislature, 1863: Begun on Monday, the Fifth Day of January, and Ended on Monday, the Twenty-seventh Day of April (Sacramento: Benj. P. Avery, State Printer, 1863 ), pp. 333–346, Chap. CCLX, “An Act Concerning the Courts of Justice of this State, and Judicial Officers,” specifically p. 337, sections 32 and 35.

    Extent

    4 linear feet (4 ledger volumes; 12.5" x 2.5" x 18.5" (average))

    Additional Description

    Abstract

    This collection contains registers and minutes of criminal cases brought before the Court of Sessions.

    Arrangement of the collection

    Organized into three series:
    1. Records--register, 1857-1862
    2. Minute book, 1857-1863
    3. Judgment book, 1858-1859

    Subjects

    Finding Aid & Administrative Information

    Title
    Sonoma County Court of Sessions records, 1857-1863
    Author
    Finding aid author: Mark Cooper.
    Date
    Published Feb 28, 2011
    Description rules
    Describing Archives: A Content Standard
    Language of description
    English
    Script of description
    Latin
    Language of description note
    Finding aid written in:English

    Repository Details

    Repository Details

    Part of the Sonoma County Archives Repository

    https://sonomalibrary.org/learn/localhistory
    Contact:
    725 3rd St.
    Santa Rosa CA 95404 United States

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