Inyo County Superior Court

Last updated
Inyo County Superior Court
Inyo County Courthouse in Independence, California LCCN2013633964.tif
1921 Inyo County Courthouse (Independence), photographed by Carol Highsmith in 2012
Established1866
Jurisdiction Inyo County, California
Location
Appeals to California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division Two
Website inyo.courts.ca.gov
Presiding Judge
CurrentlyHon. Dean T. Stout [1]
Court Executive Officer
CurrentlyPam Foster [2]

The Superior Court of California, County of Inyo, also known as the Inyo County Superior Court or Inyo Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Inyo County.

Contents

History

Inyo County was formed in 1866 after a failed effort to establish Coso County; [3] Coso had been partitioned from Mono and Tulare Counties in 1864. [4]

Shortly after Coso County was formed in 1864, the county seat was set in Bend City and Governor Frederick Low offered the position of county judge to Dr. S. G. George, who declined it; local citizens favored Oscar L. Matthews, but Low did not appoint him. The Owens Valley War was ongoing and further efforts to organize the nascent county failed. [5] : 175–176  When Inyo County was formed in 1866, Independence was named the county seat; Matthews was appointed County Judge by Low, and never sentenced a felon during his term. [6] : 203–206  Following the election of 1867, A. C. Hanson succeeded Matthews as County Judge, and Theron Reed won District Judge. [6] : 207  Hanson would serve as county judge until 1871, succeeded by John A. Hannah (1872–80); the position was renamed to Superior Judge in 1880 and Judge Hannah continued serving until 1890; he was succeeded by George M. Gill (1891–96), Walter A. Lamar (1897–1908) and William D. Dehy (1909 to at least 1922). [7]

A two-storey fired brick courthouse in Independence was built at a cost of $9,832 and accepted on February 1, 1869, but it was destroyed three years later by an earthquake on March 26, 1872. [8] : 227, 231  E. Chaquette won the contract to build a new timber-framed courthouse for $15,900 in September 1872, but he was delayed by an epizootic horse disease, and the new courthouse was not accepted until July 3, 1873. [8] : 231–232 

The 1873 courthouse was lost in a fire that started in a vacant building on June 30, 1886, and burned much of central Independence; two ladies are credited with saving the county records by ferrying books and documents to safety. Following the fire, a petition was started to move the county seat to Bishop, which the county board of supervisors denied; instead, a contract was let to M. E. Gilmore on October 7 for $11,458, and the new courthouse was accepted on February 10, 1887. [9] : 311–312  The credited architect was W. N. Cancannoh. [10]

On June 10, 1919, after receiving a reimbursement from the state, the county board of supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a new fireproof courthouse in the interest of protecting its records. [11] [12] The fourth courthouse in Independence was constructed between 1920 and 1921, designed by William H. Weeks in the Neoclassical Revival style to resist fire and earthquakes, which had destroyed prior courthouses. [13] The construction contract was awarded to the McCombs brothers of Bishop in April 1920 for $158,700. [14] The new courthouse was accepted on November 8, 1921, and dedicated on April 10, 1922; [15] a crowd estimated at 600–700 people attended the ceremony, which included an address from Governor Stephens. [16] As completed, the courthouse includes a plaque dedicated to the World War I casualties from Inyo County. [15] The 1922 courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. [17]

An annex for the 1922 courthouse was completed in 1965 to a design by Calvin W Goss and Allan Kinn Choy, the brother of Eugene Kinn Choy. The former Bishop Grammar School (completed in 1914 to a design by Charles Wonacott) was converted to a courthouse in 1974 and renamed the Bishop Civic Center. Both locations, in Independence and Bishop, are still in use today. [18]

Venues

Inyo County Superior Court
[fullscreen map]
Inyo County Superior Court locations:
1
301 W Line St (Bishop)
2
168 N Edwards St (Independence)

With two judges, the presiding judge of the Inyo County Superior Court is the senior member of the bench. Court is held in two locations: Independence, the county seat, and Bishop, the largest city.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inyo County, California</span> County in California, United States

Inyo County is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County is on the east side of the Sierra Nevada and southeast of Yosemite National Park in Central California. It contains the Owens River Valley; it is flanked to the west by the Sierra Nevada and to the east by the White Mountains and the Inyo Mountains. With an area of 10,192 square miles (26,400 km2), Inyo is the second-largest county by area in California, after San Bernardino County. Almost one-half of that area is within Death Valley National Park. However, with a population density of 1.8 people per square mile, it also has the second-lowest population density in California, after Alpine County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owens Valley</span> Valley in California, United States

Owens Valley is an arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States. It is located to the east of the Sierra Nevada, west of the White Mountains and Inyo Mountains, and is within the northern end of the Mojave Desert. It sits on the west edge of the Great Basin. The mountain peaks on the West side reach above 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in elevation, while the floor of the Owens Valley is about 4,000 feet (1,200 m), making the valley the deepest in the United States. The Sierra Nevada casts the valley in a rain shadow, which makes Owens Valley "the Land of Little Rain". The bed of Owens Lake, now a predominantly dry endorheic alkali flat, sits on the southern end of the valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California superior courts</span> State trial courts with general jurisdiction

Superior courts in California are the state trial courts with general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not specially designated to be heard in some other court or before a governmental agency. As mandated by the California Constitution, there is a superior court in each of the 58 counties in California. The superior courts also have appellate divisions which hear appeals from decisions in cases previously heard by inferior courts.

Haiwee is an unincorporated community in Inyo County, California. It is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad 24 miles (39 km) south-southwest of Keeler, at an elevation of 4075 feet.

San Carlos is a former settlement in Inyo County, California. It was founded in 1863 and was located on the east bank of the Owens River 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Independence, close by to the west of the later site of Kearsarge, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owens Valley Indian War</span>

The Owens Valley War was fought between 1862 and 1863 by the United States Army and American settlers against the Mono people and their Shoshone and Kawaiisu allies in the Owens Valley of California and the southwestern Nevada border region. The removal of a large number of the Owens River indigenous Californians to Fort Tejon in 1863 was considered the end of the war. Minor hostilities continued intermittently until 1867.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayfield Canyon</span>

Mayfield Canyon, a canyon northwest of the town of Bishop in Inyo County, California.

Coso County was a failed attempt in California to create a county from the territory of Tulare County and parts of Mono County east of the Sierra Nevada in 1864. It was the predecessor of Inyo County, which was successfully organized in 1866.

Kearsarge or Kearsarge City is a former mining settlement in Inyo County, eastern California. It was located high on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada, near Kearsage Pass, 8 miles (13 km) west of present-day town of Independence, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inyo County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Inyo County Courthouse, on N. Edwards St. in Independence, California, was designed by architect William H. Weeks in Classical Revival style, and was built in 1922. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Samuel Addison Bishop was a settler of the Owens Valley and is the namesake of Bishop Creek in Inyo County, California. He fought as a first sergeant in the Mariposa Battalion and later was a banker and a founder of the San Jose streetcar system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bishop Creek</span>

Battle of Bishop Creek was one of the early engagements of the Owens Valley Indian War fought on April 6, 1862, along Bishop Creek, in what is now Inyo County, California.

Sogn og Fjordane District Court is a district court located in Vestland county, Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Førde and Sogndalsfjøra. There is also a courthouse in Nordfjordeid, however, this courthouse is not staffed, but it can be used by the court if needed. The court serves the northern part of the county which includes 18 municipalities. The court in Førde accepts cases from the municipalities of Askvoll, Bremanger, Fjaler, Gloppen, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Kinn, Solund, Stad, Stryn, and Sunnfjord. The court in Sogndalsfjøra accepts cases from the municipalities of Aurland, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Vik, and Årdal. The court is subordinate to the Gulating Court of Appeal.

The Superior Court of California, County of Tulare, also known as the Tulare County Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Tulare County.

The Superior Court of California, County of Kern, also known as the Kern County Superior Court or Kern Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Kern County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mendocino County Superior Court</span> Branch of California superior court with jurisdiction over Mendocino County

The Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino, also known as the Mendocino County Superior Court or Mendocino Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Mendocino County.

The Superior Court of California, County of Merced, also known as the Merced County Superior Court or Merced Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Merced County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey County Superior Court</span> Branch of California superior court with jurisdiction over Monterey County

The Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, also known as the Monterey County Superior Court or Monterey Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Monterey County.

The Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, also known as the San Bernardino County Superior Court or San Bernardino Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over San Bernardino County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange County, California Superior Court</span> Branch of California superior court with jurisdiction over Orange County

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange, also known as the Orange County Superior Court or Orange Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Orange County.

References

  1. ↑ "Judge Dean T. Stout". California Courts. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "COVID-19 Restriction Rollback" (PDF) (Press release). Superior Court of California, County of Inyo. June 24, 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. ↑ California State Assembly. "An Act to create the County of Inyo, and to define its boundaries, and to provide for its organization". Sixteenth Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. CCCXVI p. 355. direct URL
  4. ↑ California State Assembly. "An Act to create the County of Coso, to define its Boundaries, and to provide for its Organization". Fourteenth Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. CCCLXX p. 528. direct URL
  5. ↑ Chalfant, W. A. (1922). "XVII: More Indian Troubles". The Story of Inyo. Chicago: Hammond Press. pp. 174–191. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  6. 1 2 Chalfant, W. A. (1922). "XIX: Inyo County Established". The Story of Inyo. Chicago: Hammond Press. pp. 201–213. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Chalfant, W. A. (1922). "Appendix A: Officers of Inyo County". The Story of Inyo. Chicago: Hammond Press. pp. 334–337. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  8. 1 2 Chalfant, W. A. (1922). "XXI: El Temblor". The Story of Inyo. Chicago: Hammond Press. pp. 225–232. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Chalfant, W. A. (1922). "XXIX: Further Waymarks". The Story of Inyo. Chicago: Hammond Press. pp. 308–320. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  10. ↑ "Inyo County, California". Courthouse History. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Supervisors". Inyo Independent. June 14, 1919. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Will Protect Records". Inyo Independent. July 19, 1919. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  13. ↑ "Inyo County". California Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "The New Courthouse". Inyo Independent. April 17, 1920. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  15. 1 2 "People of Inyo County Celebrate Formal Opening of the New Courthouse". Inyo Independent. April 15, 1922. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Courthouse Dedication". Inyo Independent. March 25, 1922. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  17. ↑ "National Register Information System – Inyo County Courthouse (#97001664)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  18. ↑ Deacon, John (2015). "Inyo County". American Courthouses. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
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