Kangaroo
Court
Posted by Jim on December 05, 2001 at
I understand that a "kangaroo court" is a sham or mock trial. My
Webster Collegiate lists the phrase as first appearing in 1853. I found a web
reference that speculates the
phrase may be connected to the 1840s gold rush in California. Did "kangaroo court"
originate in the gold rush era to describe the ad hoc process of resolving "claim
jumping" charges? For example, is kangaroo court a humorous allusion for a "jumping
court" to resolve "claim jumping" charges, or is the reference more an indication
of the helter-skelter nature of the proceeding?
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