Home > Great American Court Cases > Packard v. Packard

Legal Citation: 27 FAM LQ 515 (1864)

Plaintiff
Reverend Theophilus Packard, Jr.

Defendant
Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard

Plaintiff's Claim
That his wife was insane and that he was therefore entitled to confine her at home.

Chief Lawyer for Plaintiff
No record extant

Chief Defense Lawyers
John W. Orr, Stephen Moore

Judge
Circuit Court Judge Charles R. Starr

Place
Kankakee, Illinois

Date of Decision
18 January 1864

Decision
Elizabeth Packard was declared sane and her liberty was restored.

Significance
In 1864, Illinois law permitted a man to institutionalize his wife "without the evidence of insanity required in other cases." After her own court-ordered release, Elizabeth Packard campaigned to change the law in Illinois and similar laws in 30 other states....