Series 6878

District Court (Seventh District : San Juan County) Criminal case files

Dates: 1896-

14 microfilm reels

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Scope and Content

Case files are made up of the various documents filed with the Seventh District Court in San Juan County pertaining to each specific case. The records usually contain information such as the case number, and the names of the defendants, counsel, jurors, and witnesses. The case file may include complaints, indictments, subpoenas, verdicts, warrants of arrest, execution or confinement, warrant returns, affidavits, orders, judgments, appeal notices. Files rarely include transcripts of testimony.

First, second, and third degree felony cases are the predominant case file type within this series (a major crime for which the maximum imprisonment is more than one year in a state correctional institution). This would include first degree offenses such as murder, rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary and robbery, arson, and possession with intent to distribute drugs. Second degree offenses include: manslaughter, robbery, residential burglary, kidnapping, perjury, forgery, theft of property valued over $1,000.00, forcible sexual abuse, and intentional child abuse. Third degree felonies include: burglary of non-dwellings, theft, aggravated assault, forgery, unlawful sexual intercourse, joyriding, possession with intent to distribute marijuana or cocaine, and false or forged prescriptions.

This series also contains misdemeanor cases which are punishable by a county jail term of up to one year and/or a fine. Misdemeanors include: negligent homicide, driving under the influence, theft, assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, reckless driving, possession of marijuana, shoplifting, trespassing, and possession of a concealed weapon.

Juvenile cases tried prior to 1907 can also be found in this series. In 1907, a separate statewide juvenile court was established allowing juvenile court jurisdiction in all matters involving children 18 years of age and younger, including parents and guardians of juvenile delinquents.

Missing cases should not be found in appellate court records since the Supreme Court is required by law [Rule 76 (d)] to remit their decision to the District Court "together with such papers transmitted to the Supreme Court on appeal." Furthermore, Rule 75 (n) states that after the appeal has been disposed of, any original papers should be returned to the custody of the district court. Cases which are appealed to the District Court from lower courts will be found in this series.

Arrangement

Numerical by case number.

Research Note

Processing of this series was completed after all known microfilm holdings for historic criminal case files were transferred to the Utah State Archives from the Seventh District Court of San Juan County, in April 2013. Original paper files were presumably destroyed after initial filming took place in the court in 1987. Archival processing of the physical records did not take place prior to filming and that should be noted if case files appear missing or out of order.

Related Records

Minute books from the District Court (Seventh District : San Juan County), Series 21847, contains daily minute entries for the court actions upon which these case files are built.

Information and indictment book from the District Court (Seventh District : San Juan County), Series 26194, provides another method for exploring early criminal information recorded by the court.

Criminal registers of action from the District Court (Seventh District : San Juan County), Series 26230, record the date and any action that was taken on a criminal case.

Court order books from the District Court (Seventh District : San Juan County), Series 28250, contain court orders issued by the criminal division of the district court.

Case file indexes from the District Court (Seventh District : San Juan County), Series 28268, contain the criminal case files indexed by this series.

Custody History

Microfilm holdings for historic criminal case files that were maintained by the court were transferred to the Utah State Archives in April 2013.

Additional Forms

This series is available on microfilm.

Access Restrictions

This series is classified as Public.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Processing Note

This series was processed by Jim Kichas in April 2013.

Finding Aids

Indexes: Criminal case indexes that can used to access this series are maintained in series 28268.

Indexing Terms

Container List

REEL	DATE	DESCRIPTION
1	1902-1917	1-61
2	1917-1949	61-168
3	1924-1944	68-152
4	1942-1956	153-220
5	1949-1956	169-246
6	1955-1959	221-291
7	1959-1964	292-370
8	1962-1969	346-430
9	1964-1975	371-427
10	1970-1973	431-485
11	1969-1977	428-494
12	1976-1982	495-553
13	1980-1986	554-626
14	1983-1985	627-659