court of common pleas

noun phrase

1

: a former English superior court having civil jurisdiction

2

: an intermediate court in some American states that usually has civil and criminal jurisdiction

Examples of court of common pleas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The campaign alleged in a complaint, filed in the court of common pleas, that many voters who traveled to Bucks County election offices to pick up mail-in ballots in recent days were turned away while waiting in line for them, in violation of Pennsylvania’s election code. —Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

court of common pleas

often capitalized C&C&P : an intermediate-level court in some states (as Arkansas, Connecticut, and Ohio) having limited jurisdiction over various civil and criminal matters