Justices of assize, Justices of the Peace, and itinerant justices operated at the county level. The traditional county courts had lost much jurisdiction to the royal courts and were now limited to personal actions in causes involving usually no more than 40s. The great majority of cases had to do with 1) writ of right for recovery of land, 2) the possessory assizes for the protection of possession, 3) debt for recovery of money owed, such as rent 4) detinue for detention of a chattel, such as beasts and 5) convenant for breach of a contract, later to be limited to contracts under seal. There were also pleas of trespass and claims of fugitive villeins and their goods, nuisances, and encroachments. The action of trespass had broken free of the criminal law, which had been divided into the two categories of felony and trespass. But then the field of tort began to separate itself from that of crime and the more serious trespasses remained criminal while the less serious attached themselves to the civil sphere. The sheriff still constitutes and conducts the court, assisted by elected coroners. The earl of the county had little to do with its court except to take one-third of its profits of justice.The county court met every three or four weeks, usually in the sheriff's castle located in the chief borough of the county, but some met in the open air. It is attended by suitors, certain freeholders of the county who are bound to attend it, that is, to do suit to it. They are the judges of the court. The hundred court decided cases of theft, viewing of boundaries of land, claims for tenurial services, claims for homage, relief, and for wardship; enfeoffments made, battery and brawls not amounting to felony, wounding and maiming of beasts, collection of debts, trespass, detinue, and covenant, which now requires a sealed writing; defamation, and inquiries and presentments arising from the assizes of bread and ale and measures. The action of debt was used for five main purposes: 1) money lent, 2) the price of goods sold, 3) arrears of rent due upon a lease for years, 4) money due from a surety, and 5) a debt confessed by a sealed document. A paid bailiff had responsibility for the hundred court, which met every three weeks. Freeholders of these hundreds owe suit to it; these suitors are the judges.