bailiff, Officer of some U.S. courts whose duties include keeping order in the courtroom and guarding prisoners or jurors in deliberation. In medieval Europe, it was a title of some dignity and power, denoting a manorial superintendent or royal agent who collected fines and rent, served writs, assembled juries, made arrests, and executed the monarch’s orders. The bailiff’s authority was gradually eroded by the increasing need to use administrators with legal or other specialized training.
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