circuit court

noun

1. a court holding sessions at various intervals in different sections of a judicial district.
2. (initial capital letters) the court of general jurisdiction in a number of U.S. states.

Word History and Origins

Origin of circuit court¹

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10

Example Sentences

They had been classmates at the University of Alabama and had gone head-to- head several years earlier when Wallace, then a circuit court judge, had refused Johnson’s order to open voting records to inspection by the Civil Rights Commission.

From Time

He appointed 54 judges to the circuit courts that are the final word on most appeals—just one less than Obama selected over eight years.

From Time

The circuit court ruled that the First Step Act only covered high and mid-level crack offenders—not low-level ones like Terry.

From Time

A federal circuit court ruled in Oracle’s favor in 2018, deciding that Google’s use of the technology was illegal.

From Time

A circuit court judge ruled in Northam’s favor, but the case was appealed to the state Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear it but not yet set a date.

From Washington Post

Right now, there is no such conflict at the circuit-court level.

From The Daily Beast

In the meantime, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is investigating the incident.

From The Daily Beast

And this was how, on Aug. 11, Aaron Walker and his co-defendants ended up on the 9th floor of the Montgomery County circuit court.

From The Daily Beast

However, a 2013 9th Circuit Court of Appeals court ruling did not grant the same rights to the remaining Shusters.

From The Daily Beast

When the high court ruled in Brown, the Charleston circuit court, of course, reversed itself.

From The Daily Beast

My father, as judge of the Circuit Court, has been in intimate touch with public men and party politics.

From Project Gutenberg

For this "offence" his case was presented to the grand-jury of the Circuit Court the 29th of September, 1851.

From Project Gutenberg

A distinct affirmation of Federal supremacy has also been had by a Circuit Court opinion in 1911.

From Project Gutenberg

Among his colleagues at the bar he was no longer looked upon as the Circuit-Court lawyer of earlier days.

From Project Gutenberg

He is known to me as a counsellor practising law in Circuit Court.

From Project Gutenberg