What is "circuit court"

Circuit \Cir"cuit\, n. [F. circuit, fr. L. circuitus, fr. circuire or circumire to go around; circum around + ire to go.]

1. The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution; as, the periodical circuit of the earth round the sun.
   --Watts.

2. The circumference of, or distance round, any space; the measure of a line round an area.

   The circuit or compass of Ireland is 1,800 miles.
   --J. Stow.

3. That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown.

   The golden circuit on my head.
   --Shak.

4. The space inclosed within a circle, or within limits.

   A circuit wide inclosed with goodliest trees.
   --Milton.

5. A regular or appointed journeying from place to place in the exercise of one's calling, as of a judge, or a preacher.

6. 1. (Law) A certain division of a state or country, established by law for a judge or judges to visit, for the administration of justice.
      --Bouvier.

   2. (Methodist Church) A district in which an itinerant preacher labors.

7. Circumlocution. [Obs.] ``Thou hast used no circuit of words.''
   --Huloet.

   Circuit court (Law), a court which sits successively in different places in its circuit (see Circuit, 6). In the United States, the federal circuit courts are commonly presided over by a judge of the supreme court, or a special circuit judge, together with the judge of the district court. They have jurisdiction within statutory limits, both in law and equity, in matters of federal cognizance. Some of the individual States also have circuit courts, which have general statutory jurisdiction of the same class, in matters of State cognizance.

   Circuit of action or Circuity of action (Law), a longer course of proceedings than is necessary to attain the object in view.

   To make a circuit, to go around; to go a roundabout way.

   Voltaic circle or Galvanic circle or Voltaic circuit or Galvanic circuit, a continous electrical communication between the two poles of a battery; an arrangement of voltaic elements or couples with proper conductors, by which a continuous current of electricity is established.

n. (context legal English) A court that sits at more than one location in the district that it serves.

Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.

The Circuit Court of Ireland is an intermediate level court of local and limited jurisdiction in the which hears both civil and criminal matters. On the criminal side the Circuit Court hears criminal matters tried on indictment with a judge and jury, except for certain serious crimes which are tried in either the Central Criminal Court or the Special Criminal Court. On the civil side the Circuit Court has a considerable parallel jurisdiction — including equitable remedies — with the High Court but normally cannot award damages of more than €75,000. The Circuit Court also hears de novo appeals from the District Court in both civil and criminal matters.

The Circuit Court consists of a President and thirty-seven ordinary judges and six specialist judges. It is composed of eight circuits, each of which cover an ad hoc region of the state. One judge is assigned to each circuit except in Dublin where ten judges may be assigned, and Cork, where there is provision for three judges.The President of the District Court is an ex officio member of the Circuit Court.