Contains cases 1 through 1520.
A crime or public offense is an act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it. Criminal proceedings were taken in the courts against persons charged with some violation of the criminal law. Criminal offenses include the following: murder, manslaughter, treason, dueling, assault and battery, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, child stealing, rape, abortion, polygamy, adultery, fornication, incest, sodomy, burglary, housebreaking, robbery, larceny, violation of postal laws, embezzlement, extortion, receiving stolen goods, arson, gross cheats, malicious injuries, perjury, conspiracy, forgery, counterfeiting of coins, libel, obstructing justice, drunkenness, affray, violating Sabbath, vagrancy, riot, unlawful assembly, gaming, sale of intoxicating drinks, prostitution and cruelty to animals.
Case files may contain arrest warrants, criminal complaints, specifications of the charges against the defendants, writs, indictments, subpoenas, depositions, coroners’ reports, physician’s reports, bills of costs, arraignment documents, jury selection proceedings, defendants’ pleadings, clerk’s minutes, trial proceedings, instructions for the defendant, instructions to the jury, judgments and mittimus. Case files contain information about the crimes committed, defendants’ pleadings, verdict of the jury, and sentencing by the judge. May contain personal information about the defendant such as place of residence and occupation. Appeals from the district or police court contain the lower court records relating to the case.
Records in this series dated before 1892 may be identified as Fourth Circuit Court documents. Kauai and Niihau were designated as the Fourth Circuit prior to 1892.