Sheriff Court

Corporation of London Record Office, City of London Sheriffs Court Rolls, Box 4,1610 bundle, dated 8 July. I am indebted to Martin Ingram for this reference. Forman s records of his disputes with Dawson are Ashm. 392, fo. 172. 

Prosecute any person contravening a relevant statutory provision -instead of, or in addition to, serving a notice. Certain offences may be prosecuted only summarily in a magistrates court in England and Wales or a Sheriff court in Scotland. The majority of offences may be prosecuted either summarily, or on indictment in the Crown Court in England and Wales or the Sheriff court in solemn procedure in Scotland. In most cases, where offences are triable either way, they are nevertheless prosecuted summarily if the court and the defendant consent to this. 

Criminal cases in England are heard in the magistrates courts and in the Crown Court in Scotland mostly in the Sheriff Court, and in the High Court of Justiciary. In Northern Ireland criminal cases are tried in magistrates courts and in the Crown Court. In all three countries the more serious criminal cases are heard before a jury, except in Northern Ireland for scheduled offences under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Acts of 1978 and 1987. 

English courts hearing civil actions are the country courts and the High Court in Scotland the Sheriff Court and the Court of Session. In Northern Ireland the County Court and the High Court deal with civil accident claims. Civil cases rarely have a jury in personal injury cases only in the most exceptional circumstances. 

For Scotland the Sheriff Court is an inferior court while the superior courts are the House of Lords, the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary. 

The court most used is the local Sheriff Court which has wide civil and criminal jurisdiction. Civilly it may sit as a court of first instance or as a court of appeal (to the Sheriff Principal from a sheriff s decision). For criminal cases the sheriff sits with a jury for trials on indictment, and alone to deal with less serious offences prosecuted on complaints, when its jurisdiction encompasses that of the restricted district court. 

Judicial appointment, to the Supreme Court and the Sheriff Court, is by Royal authority on the recommendation of the Secretary of State, judges in the District Courts are lay justices of the peace, apart from some stipendiary magistrates in Glasgow. 

Scotland has both criminal and civil courts but prosecutions are initiated by the procurator-fiscal rather than the Health and Safety Executive. The lowest criminal court is called the District Court and deals with minor offences. The Sheriff Court has a similar role to that of the Magistrates Court (for criminal cases) and the County Court (for civil cases), although it can deal with more serious cases involving a sheriff and jury. 

Sheriff or Justice of the Peace (The MHO applies to the Sheriffs court)... 

This decision is an example of a court upholding what is called a discretionary gun permit. Gun rights advocates often argue that such laws amount to gun control for everyone except well-connected and favored persons who have an inside track with the police chief or sheriff. Accordingly, they have sometimes organized successful campaigns to remove the element of discretion from gun permit laws. 

In both cases, the district courts of appeals ruled that the background check provision was unconstitutional, though other parts of the law (such as the waiting period) could remain in force. However, federal attorneys appealed to the Circuit Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, which ruled that the background checks were constitutional. The sheriffs appeals, now combined, came to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The Court did not agree that the Supremacy Clause and historical experience could be applied to local sheriffs. The justices pointed out that any precedent applied only to state judges, not law enforcement officers. They found no evidence, at least until recent times, that Congress had asserted a power to commandeer local officials. Further, None of [the statements... 

Carney, Dan. Brady Decision Reflects Effort to Curb Congress Authority. Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, vol. 55, June 28, 1997, p. 1524. Explains the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Printz v. U.S., where the Court struck down the part of the Brady Bill that required local sheriffs to perform bac%round checks on gun purchasers. The justices ruled that the provision extended beyond Congress s power to regulate interstate commerce. 

Corporation of London record office City of London Sheriff s Court Rolls, Box 4, 1610 bundle. 

Once each year, namely m October, the Corporation of London and the Sheriffs of Middlesex pay a curious rental to the King for two pieces of land. London s imposing Law Courts are built on one of these plots, the site of an ancient jousting ground the other plot lies somewhere in Shropshire, but nobody appears to know exactly where. 

Nine days after the shooting a special session of court presided over by Judge C. Ellis Ott began the trial of Jerome Wilson for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Delos Wood. Indictments were also drawn against Tempie, the mother, Sammy, an uncle, and Luther, the older brother. Some weeks after Jerome s conviction Tempie and Sammy were released on bond. 

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