Scope and Contents Although the case of Margaret Aurelia Porter vs. Reuben Reynolds is relatively obscure, the court case set a dangerous precedent for fugitive state laws and states' rights. In 1810, Margaret Porter - represented by her father, Stephen, because women could not then file suits in a court of law - sued Reuben Reynolds for the return of three fugitive slaves that he was harboring, and she demanded the sum of $1500 in damages for loss of labor and income. This...