Justice Of The Peace

Domain	Definition
Law	A person entitled to settle disputes between opposing parties. Source: European Union. (references)
Occupations	Adjudicates civil cases in which damages do not exceed prescribed maximum established by state law, and minor misdemeanor cases not involving penitentiary sentences or fines in excess of maximum amount allowed to be levied under state law. Conducts preliminary hearings in felony cases to determine whether there is reasonable and probable cause to hold defendant for further proceedings or trial by superior court. May perform wedding ceremonies. May perform duties at night and be designated Night-Court Magistrate (government ser.). May adjudicate cases involving motor vehicle laws and be designated Traffic-Court Magistrate (government ser.). (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Justice of the peace

In some U.S. states, the justice of the peace is the judge of a court of limited jurisdiction.

The justice of the peace typically presides over a court that hears misdemeanor cases and other small cases of police infractions. The justice of the peace may also have authority over cases involving small debts, landlord and tenant disputes, or other small claims court proceedings. Proceedings before the justice of the peace are often faster and less formal than the proceedings in other courts. In some jurisdictions a party convicted or found liable before the justice of the peace may have the right to a trial de novo before the judge of a higher court rather than an appeal strictly considered. At least in popular fiction, the justice of the peace is the judge to whom parties seeking a quick and informal civil marriage can repair.

Historically, in England and in other common law jurisdictions, a justice of the peace was an unpaid local magistrate appointed by royal commission to keep the peace within the jurisdiction they were appointed for. Being an unpaid office, undertaken more for the sake of renown and to confirm the justice's standing within the community, the justice was typically a member of the gentry. The justice of the peace conducted arraignments in all criminal cases, and tried misdemeanors and infractions of local ordinances and bylaws. Communities with enough burdensome judicial business that could not find volunteers for the unpaid role of justice of the peace had to petition the Crown for authority to hire a paid magistrate.

In many states the office of justice of the peace has been abolished or transferred to another court.

Synonyms within Context: Justice Of The Peace

Photo Album: Justice Of The Peace

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Justice of the Peace in Graham, Alamance County, North Carolina. Credit: Library of Congress.		Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Draft Board Number 5, which takes care of Lititz cases along with neighboring towns. Left to right: back to camera, A.L. Douple, Lititz banker; W.E. Buchholder (chairman), Justice of the Peace, and insurance and re. Credit: Library of Congress.
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Historic Usage: Justice Of The Peace

Author	Date	Quotation
Marbury v. Madison	1803	At the last term on the affidavits then read and filed with the clerk, a rule was granted in this case, requiring the Secretary of State [note: i.e., James Madison] to show cause why a mandamus should not issue, directing him to deliver to William Marbury his commission as a justice of the peace for the county of Washington, in the district of Columbia. (reference)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Non-Fiction Usage: Justice Of The Peace

Subject	Topic	Quote
Human Rights	Trinidad and Tobago	There was only one reported case of corruption involving a justice of the peace during the year. (references)
	Guatemala	In March some 200 persons tried unsuccessfully to lynch a local justice of the peace in Ixchiguan, San Marcos. (references)
	Guatemala	After intervening successfully to stop the lynching, the mayor and police requested that the Supreme Court recall the justice of the peace. (references)
Political Economy	Liberia	Within each circuit, there are magisterial courts and justice of the peace courts, which are not courts of record. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Justice Of The Peace

Modern Translation: Justice Of The Peace

Language		Translations for "justice of the peace"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		gjykatës i paqit. (various references)

Arabic		‏قاضي صلح (magisterial, magistrate). (various references)

Bulgarian		мирови съдия (magistrate, recorder, squire). (various references)

Czech		smírèí soudce (magistrate). (various references)

Finnish		rauhantuomari. (various references)

French		juge de paix. (various references)

German		friedensrichter (magistracy, magistrate, magistrates, sheriff). (various references)

Greek		πταισματοδίκησ, ειρηνοδίκησ (magistrate, squire). (various references)

Hebrew		שופט שלום (magistrate). (various references)

Hungarian		anyakönyvvezető (registrar). (various references)

Italian		giudice di pace (mediator). (various references)

Manx		briw (adjudicator, arbiter, Brehon, deemster, judge, referee). (various references)

Pig Latin		usticejay ofay ethay eacepay

Portuguese		magistrado (beak, justice, magistrate, squire). (various references)

Russian		мировой судья (magistrate, squire). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		mirovni sudija. (various references)

Spanish		juez de paz (beak). (various references)

Swedish		fredsdomare (magistrate). (various references)

Thai		เจ้าหน้าที่ท้องถิ่นที่มีอำนาจในการพิจาร�"าค�"ีเล็กๆ น้อยๆ. (various references)

Turkish		sulh hakimi (jurat, magistrate). (various references)

Welsh		hedd-ynad. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Judge	Noun: judge; justice, justiciar, justiciary; chancellor; justice of assize, judge of assize; recorder, common sergeant; puisne judge, assistant judge, county court judge; conservator of the peace, justice of the peace; J.P.; court; (tribunal); magistrate, police magistrate, beak; his worship, his honor, his lordship.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Expression	Frequency per Day
justice of the peace	343
massachusetts justice of the peace	50
nh justice of the peace	12
dallas justice of the peace	8
justice of the peace ohio	6
connecticut justice of the peace	6
justice of the peace ma	5
boston justice of the peace	3
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Language	Period	Translations
Latin	500 BCE-Modern	mediatura, RM:mediatur. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Justice Of The Peace

Definition: Justice Of The Peace