In February 1897, criminal prosecutions in the District of Columbia halted entirely, with trials postponed and new arrestees unable to post bond facing indefinite detention. A wanted fugitive captured elsewhere could not be extradited, and for 22 days no prosecutorial authority existed in the nation’s capital. The disruption stemmed from the absence of a…
In February 1897, all criminal prosecutions in the District of Columbia stopped. Trials were postponed. New arrestees unable to post bond faced indefinite detention. A wanted fugitive captured in another state could not be extradited. For 22 days, no prosecutorial authority existed in the nation’s capital. The cause of this disruption? The absence of a...
