February 18, 1824
Stoddard v. Smith Sr.: Stoddard filed suit against Joseph Smith Sr. for unpaid carpentry work on the frame home.
Legal Events
December 20, 1825
The Smiths' home and 99.5-acre farm were sold to Lemuel Durfee, who kept the Smiths as tenants.
March 20, 1826
Joseph Smith was tried and acquitted by Justice of the Peace Albert Neely Jr. of a charge of being a disorderly person, meaning not acceptably employed and "pretending to discover where lost goods may be found."
April 19, 1826
Stoddard v. Smith Sr.: Joseph Smith Sr. had confessed judgment to Stoddard for $66.59. The judgment was satisfied on this day.
June 20, 1826
Smith v. Worden: Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith hired the firm of Howell & Hubble, presumably as legal counsel, in an action against Sylvester Worden. The balance the Smiths owed to Howell & Hubble is recorded as $8.62 with interest beginning on that date.
November 25, 1828
Smith v. Worden: In the Supreme Court of Ontario County, a writ of collection was returned by Deputy George Smith of Wayne County, New York. The sheriff was given a writ of execution on Sylvester Worden's property. No more information has been found.
April 6, 1829
Joseph Smith incurred a debt in purchasing a small home and land from his father-in-law, Isaac Hale.
May or June 1829
Martin Harris's wife, Lucy, filed a complaint against Joseph Smith, attempting to prove that he never had gold plates.
June 11, 1829
Richard R. Lansing, clerk of the Northern District Court, entered Joseph Smith's copyright application for the Book of Mormon.
Summer 1829
State v. Smith: A legal action was brought by the state of Pennsylvania against Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
Pages
Read peer-reviewed articles about Joseph Smith and other Church history topics from BYU Studies. Visit byustudies.byu.edu.