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Levy Court

Defined in 3 dictionaries — Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Abbott (1879)

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia

John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914

The name given in Delaware to the governing body of a county, corresponding to county commissioners, freeholders, etc., in other states. The name was probably given because it made the county tax levy.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

A court formerly existing in the District of Columbia. It was a body charged with the administration of the ministerial and financial duties of Washington county. It was charged with the duty of laying out and repairing roads, building bridges, providing poor-houses, laying and collecting the taxes necessary to enable it to discharge these and other duties, and to pay the other expenses of the county. It had capacity to make contracts in reference to any of these matters, and to raise money to meet such contracts. It had perpetual succession, and Its functions were those which, in the several states, are performed by "county commissioners," "overseers of the poor," "county supervisors," and similar bodies with other designations. Levy Court v. Coroner, 2 Wall. 507, 17 In Ed. 851. In Delaware, the "levy court" Is an administrative board elected and organized in each county, composed of from five to thirteen "commissioners," who, in respect to taxation, perform the functions of a board of equalization and review and also of a board to supervise the assessors and collectors and audit and adjust their accounts, and who also have certain powers and special duties in respect to the administration of the poor laws, the system of public roads and the officers in charge of them, the care of insane paupers and convicts, the government and administration of jails, school districts, and various other matters of local concern. See Rev. St. Del. 1893, c. 8; Mealey v. Buckingham, 6 Del. Ch. 356, 22 Atl. 357.

Dictionary of Terms and Phrases Used in American or English Jurisprudence

Benjamin Vaughan Abbott · 1879

The name of a court of subordinate jurisdiction, formerly held in each of the counties of Maryland, of much the same grade, and clothed with substantially the same powers, as the county courts or common pleas courts in other states. When Washington County was ceded as part of the District of Columbia, the levy court of that county became, and for many years was, the local court at the federal capital.