court of sessions

noun

1. any of state courts of criminal jurisdiction in California, New York, and a few other states.

Word History and Origins

Origin of court of sessions¹

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

The court of sessions judgement on Brexit will be out at 12.45pm, the lawyer Jolyon Maugham says.

From The Guardian

The earl, a man of violent temper, bullied a court of sessions into upholding his seizure; then, because there was a distant cousin to whom the Dudhope title was due, he destroyed the Scrymgeour family archives.

From Time Magazine Archive

Laval's Three Musketeers, Gilles Ayotte, Paul Emile Brazeau and Jean Paul Tremblay, did not act until they had on their side a recent angry declaration in the Quebec Court of Sessions by Judge Laetare Roy that the authorities were "flagrantly failing in their duty" to stamp out Vice.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Court of Sessions sat yesterday, and went on with business very smoothly.

From Project Gutenberg

It was ordered on Long Island that every Court of Sessions should have a ducking-stool; but nothing exists in their records to prove that the order was ever executed, or any Long Island woman ducked; nor is there proof that there was in New York city a ducking-stool, though orders were issued for one; a Lutheran minister of that city excused himself for striking a woman who angered him by her “scholding” because she was not punished by law therefor.

From Project Gutenberg