AGENCY: Salt Lake County (Utah). Probate Court
SERIES: 373
TITLE: Civil and criminal case files
DATES: 1852-1887.
ARRANGEMENT: Chronological.
DESCRIPTION: In 1852, the Utah Territorial Legislature provided that the Probate Court should have jurisdiction not only in estate and guardianship matters, but original jurisdiction in civil, criminal, and chancery cases. The Probate Court could act as an appellant court to the Justice of the Peace Courts in the County, and decisions made in the Probate Court could be appealed to the District Court. This series includes those cases handled by the Probate Court which are not probate, estate, or guardianship cases. Civil cases include primarily divorce, debt, replevin, damages, delinquent tax collections, contract and property disputes, evictions, and other case types. Criminal cases include murder, larceny, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, and contempt of court charges, as well as others. Other case types include appeals, habeas corpus hearings, and inquests into deaths.
In 1874, the federal Poland Act revoked the jurisdiction of the Probate Court over all but divorce and probate act ended Probate Court action in divorce cases, and with it this series. This series also includes items that are not case files as such, but individual documents filed with the court. For example, a few affidavits of slave ownership or other matters may have been filed with the court and are represented in this series. Occasionally documents such as travers jury subpoenas were at some point separated from the case file, and where identification of those records could not be made, the document is filed separately. Documents related to quarterly grand jury proceedings which could not be identified as belonging to a specific case are filed together. Individual pieces of correspondence which are not related to a case file before the court may also be included as a separate file.
RETENTION
DISPOSITION
RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION
These records are in Archives' permanent custody.
FORMAT MANAGEMENT
Paper: Retain in State Records Center until microfilmed and then transfer to Agency Record Center. Retain in Agency Record Center permanently.
Microfilm master: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
Microfilm duplicate: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
Microfilm duplicate: Retain in Agency Record Center permanently.
APPRAISAL
Historical
This disposition is based on the value of these records for documenting early criminal and civil court proceedings in Salt Lake County.
PRIMARY DESIGNATION
Public