The Latimer Case of 1842 was the first of a series of famous fugitive slave trials
which took place in Boston, Massachusetts. George Latimer was seized without a warrant. A writ of habeas corpus was denied, and the defendant was kept in the custody of the city jailer pending the securing of evidence against him. A writ of personal replevin, under the Act of 1837, securing trial by jury, was denied, the act being held illegal under the Prigg decision. Great indignation was aroused in Boston, and Latimer was finally released by his jailer on the payment of $400. The State Act of 1843 followed, forbidding officers to aid in the capture of fugitive slaves, or to permit the use of State jails for their imprisonment. Research Latimer Case
In English law, replevin is an action brought to recover possession of goods illegally seized, the validity of which seizure it is the regular mode of contesting. Research Replevin
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Abbreviations
Research Latimer Case
