A Legal History of Santa Cruz County: An Account of the Local Bench and Bar Through the End of the Twentieth Century

The end of the twentieth century prompted a look back at the history of the legal community in Santa Cruz County. This book is the result of that backward glance. It traces the earliest beginnings of the local judicial system, from Spanish colonial rule to the heady days of the gold rush, western expansion, and California statehood. The book follows the development of the legal community into the twentieth century, with its primary focus on the last half of that century--another period of momentous change for the legal community and for society as a whole. The book discusses judges, lawyers, crimes, and important local cases, all set against the backdrop of the general history of Santa Cruz County and beyond.