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In most counties in the United States the local trial courts conduct their business in a centrally located courthouse which may also house the offices of the county treasurer, clerk and recorder and assessor. The courthouse is usually located in the county seat, although large metropolitan counties may have satellite or annex offices for their courts.
In some cases this building may be renamed in some way or its function divided as between a judicial building and administrative office building. Many judges also officiate a civil ceremony of marriage in their courthouse chambers.
Each United States district court also has a federally-owned building where its courtrooms, chambers and clerk's offices are located. Many federal judicial districts are further divided into divisions, which may also have their own courthouses, although sometimes the smaller divisional court facilties are located in buildings that also house other agencies or offices of the United States government.
The courthouse is part of the iconography of American life often shown as a scene in movies.
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