Mississippi--Judiciary. Circuit Courts

Mississippi circuit courts handle felony criminal cases and civil lawsuits. They hold jury trials, but circuit court justices can preside without a jury if the matter at hand involves questions of law rather than fact. In nineteenth century America, circuit courts judges often traveled throughout their jurisdictional area to hold court in various local areas—an activity contributing to the phrase “traveled the circuit.” The practice was more common in sparsely populated and frontier areas. Once communities became more established, circuit courts maintained permanent locations. (State of Mississippi Judiciary)