magistrate's court

American  

noun

1. a court having limited jurisdiction over minor civil and criminal matters, as matters of contract not exceeding a particular amount of money.

2. police court.

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magistrates' court British  

noun

1. (in England) a court of summary jurisdiction held before two or more justices of the peace or a stipendiary magistrate to deal with minor crimes, certain civil actions, and preliminary hearings

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Etymology

Origin of magistrate's court

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Chow Hang-tung, 38, a prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and former vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, was among those convicted by a magistrate's court.

From Reuters

Married Duggan received a 32-week suspended sentence at Warrington Magistrate's Court last month and was ordered to pay his victims £1,000 compensation each.

From BBC

The former FTX CEO appeared at a Magistrate’s Court and is expected to head to Odyssey Aviation to return to the United States, according to Bahamian news organization Our News.

From Washington Times

The new charge was read out to the couple on Tuesday when they appeared in a magistrate's court but they were not allowed to make a plea as the case can only be heard at the High Court, Jacquelyne Okui spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office told Reuters on Wednesday.

From Reuters

At the white-and-pink Magistrate’s Court in Nassau, Bahamas, Bankman-Fried appeared wearing a suit coat without a tie, according to the Nassau Guardian, a local newspaper.

From Washington Post