Legal Definitions - commissioner

A commissioner is a person who directs or is a member of a commission. They can also be the administrative head of an organization, such as a professional sport. In some cases, they are appointed by a higher authority.

• The Commissioner for Patents is the chief operating officer of the patents section of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.
• A county commissioner is an officer responsible for managing the county's financial affairs, police regulations, and corporate business.
• A court commissioner is an officer appointed by the court to hear and report facts or conduct judicial sales.

These examples illustrate how commissioners can have different roles and responsibilities depending on the organization or situation they are appointed to. They can be responsible for overseeing the construction of highways, managing a town's business, or even drawing and summoning potential jurors for a trial.