Once Fargo was incorporated as a city in 1875, a city justice of the peace needed to be appointed.  E. D. Barker was appointed in April 1875, but resigned in June and was succeeded by James Stack.  In 1877, the position became an elected rather than an appointed post.  In 1887, the Territorial Legislature called for an elected City Justice of the Peace and, in 1889, created the new position of Police Justice, who had the same powers as the city justice of the peace.

The collection consists of justice dockets (civil and criminal) of the Police Magistrate Court, Municipal Court, and the Justice of the Peace.  They give such information as plantiff, defendant, charges, proceedings, ruling, and costs.  There is also a fee book of fines paid (1895, 1915-1918), and a criminal calendar volume (1986).  There are some gaps and overlapping dates in the volumes, making it difficult at times to determine the proper court. 
 

City of Fargo