Also known as: circuit courts · circuit
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
2 senses
A court that exercises jurisdiction over multiple counties, districts, or states by holding sessions in each of those locations.
One of the intermediate federal appellate courts that review district court decisions within designated geographic circuits.
A court that exercises jurisdiction over multiple counties, districts, or states by holding sessions in each of those locations.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
One of the intermediate federal appellate courts that review district court decisions within designated geographic circuits.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Each sense below has its own examples, sources, and questions.
A circuit court typically reviews decisions from lower courts or holds sessions across multiple locations, while a district court conducts trials and fact-finding in the first instance.
Supporting sources
Prosecutors in a child abuse case sought to protect a traumatized minor from courtroom stress. The circuit court approved one-way closed-circuit television after finding the child would suffer serious emotional harm from face-to-face confrontation. The procedure preserved oath, cross-examination, and demeanor observation, allowing the trial to proceed without violating confrontation rights.
A patient sued a device manufacturer claiming inadequate warnings about surgical risks. The circuit court applied the learned intermediary doctrine and held that the duty ran only to the prescribing physician. Because the plaintiff offered only generalized risk awareness evidence rather than proof that a better warning would have changed the physician's decision, summary judgment was affirmed.
A pedestrian injured by a train sued the railroad in federal court. The reviewing court examined whether Pennsylvania tort rules governed the claim. It concluded that the district court had correctly applied state substantive law rather than any general federal common law.
An applicant denied a judicial commission petitioned for mandamus against the Secretary of State. The reviewing court examined whether the duty was ministerial and non-discretionary before deciding whether to issue the writ.
Environmental groups challenged a nuclear licensing procedure. The reviewing court examined whether the agency had followed required procedures and upheld the rules after confirming they satisfied statutory constraints on administrative action.
A plaintiff sought declaratory relief against a state criminal abortion law in federal district court. The reviewing court considered standing and justiciability before addressing whether the statute violated constitutional privacy protections.
Each circuit follows the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure but may adopt local rules consistent with those rules and statutes, provided the judicial council approves them.
Authority in some circuits permits transfer for convenience under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) even if the transferor court lacks personal jurisdiction over the defendant.
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f), a circuit court may in its discretion permit an appeal from an order granting or denying class certification if a petition is filed within fourteen days.
…view is not novel. In 1792 an act directing the Secretary at War to place on the pension list disabled officers reported by the circuit courts was deemed unconstitutional so far as it imposed duties on the courts, and after a repeal Congress provided a different mode and enacted that the Secretary of War in conjunction with the…