Court of Common Pleas (United States)
A Court of Common Pleas is in the law of the United States a term that a court designated with certain responsibilities. It descends from the Court of Common Pleas in the English legal system and was brought into the United States by the colonists along with the rest of the English common law tradition.
There are at least four states in the U.S. legal system that still have Courts of Common Pleas:
- Delaware : A state-wide tribunal with limited jurisdiction, present in all three counties , minor criminal cases ; preceding hearings for criminal cases with felony ; and civil cases with amounts in dispute up to US $ 50,000 are negotiated and appointed by the governor for twelve-year terms.
- Ohio : The general criminal and civil justice court found in every county in Ohio . Judges are generally elected.
- Pennsylvania : The criminal and civil justice court that is found in all counties of Pennsylvania and is organized by judicial district. Most judicial districts are identical to the county in which the judicial district is located, but some counties with smaller populations share a judicial district (and therefore a court) with one or more other adjacent counties. Judges are generally elected.
- South Carolina : the civil justice court of first instance found in every county in South Carolina .