Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington
How do I find a transcript of court records from a 1965 murder case? I cannot find it anywhere. It may only be in hard copy possibly in the courthouse, but is there any way I can find it online?
The date of the death was 4/21/1965 in Pomeroy, WA, Garfield County. The victim was Clark Beale and the convicted was his wife, Mary Ann Beale.
As a young child watching the immediate aftermath of the shooting that day, I would like to read the court records to help understand what really happened that day.
1 Answer from Attorneys
First,understand that the term "transcript" in the legal system refers to dialogue from a particular court hearing/proceeding that has been reproduced as text.
Generally, there would be no transcipts from a court case unless ordered by an individual, who then has exclusive control and possession of the document. The only way you would such transcript would appear online is if the person possessing it posted it online.
As long as the case has not been sealed, you should be able to order of a transcript of any court proceeding IF court reporters or stenographers were used in 1961, and then only if the records still exist.
Court documents, including a "docket index", are likley available for viewing and copying on microfiche in the clerk's office. The docket index is a record of events in the case - chronoclogical notations of filings, hearings, trial, accounting activity, etc.
Finallly, original court documents have likely been moved to the state archives facility for the region in which the court is located. Often these documents have been scanned, and may be accessible for viewing online.
Archives - Washington Secretary of State: www.secstate.wa.gov/archives
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