Courts of the United States each having territorial jurisdiction over a district which may include a whole state or only part of it. Each of these courts is presided over by one judge who must reside within the district. These courts have original jurisdiction over all admiralty and maritime causes and all proceedings in bankruptcyand over all penal and criminal matters … [Read more...]

Seizure; the act of distraining or making a distress. … [Read more...]

A United States district court judge. Some state courts also refer to the judge of a district court of the state. … [Read more...]

remedies. A distress is defined to be, the taking of a personal chattel, without legal process, from the possession of the wrong doer, into the hands of the party grieved, as a pledge for the redress of an injury, the performance of a duty, or the satisfaction of a demand. It is a general rule, that a man who has an entire duty, shall not split the entire sum and distrain for … [Read more...]

A territory situated on the Potomac river, and being the seat of government of the United States. It was originally ten miles square, and was composed of portions of Maryland and Virginia ceded by those states to the United States; but in 1846 the tract coming from Virginia was retroceded. Legally it is neither a state nor a territory, but is made subject, by the constitution, … [Read more...]