Circuit Courts

In American law

Courts held in the several federal and state circuits. The United States circuit courts are held by one of the justices of the supreme court appointed for the circuit, (and oearing the name, in that capacity, of circuit judge,) together with the district judge of the district in which they are held. Their business is not only the supervision of trials of issues in fact, but the hearing of causes as a court in banc; and they have equity as well as common law jurisdiction, together with appellate jurisdiction from the decrees and judgments of the district courts.

1 Kent's Com, 301 — 303.

The state circuit courts are usually heldsolely for the trial of issues of fact, like the English courts of Assise and Nisi Prius,