Bailiff is a legal officer who has authority to act a custodian. Some common usages of the term “bailiff” in a legal sense include:
- Bailiff is someone entrusted with the care and protection, guardianship, or jurisdiction of a person, land, or personal property pending further court action.
- A bailiff is also a court official, usually a peace officer or deputy sheriff, who keeps order in the courtroom and handles errands for the judge and clerk.
- In this role, the bailiff acts as an intermediary between the judge and attorneys.
- The main job of a bailiff is court security.
- If someone does not behave in a courtroom, the bailiff can make that person leave the courtroom.
[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]