What is a circuit court?
One meaning of circuit court describes a court that holds hearings or trials in more than one place within a district. Click here to see some information on a court (the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in Illinois) that holds sessions in two locations.
In some states in the U.S. the term circuit court has a different meaning. In those states a circuit court is the court that hears the most serious cases. Go here to see a short explanation of the term "circuit court" as it is used in Virginia.
Etymology: This term (as it is used in the U.S.) comes from the early days of the country when a judge would travel to different cities to hold court sessions.
