[Steve_Seattle]

"If it has docket markers on it, might these letters have earlier been lifted from the public archives at some ancient date?"

But the point is that nobody knows how or when the family obtained the documents. There is simply no evidence that the documents were obtained improperly. Keep in mind that these were not necessarily considered valuable or historical documents at the time they were created; they were basically routine correspondence of a kind which is usually disposed of after a mandatory minimal archival period. The state's case is built upon a series of assumptions, not facts. For all we know, the state put the documents up for auction a hundred years ago and the family bought them. I'm no lawyer, I think this case is very vulnerable to reversal at a higher level.

[Vicomte13]

I agree with your assessment that the burden ought to be on the STATE to prove ownership of these documents.

It will be interesting to see what the appellate courts do.