A person, usually a judge or court official, who has the authority to impose fines or amercements; someone who punishes by fining.
From 'amerce' + '-er' suffix (one who does). Developed to describe the specific officials tasked with assigning and collecting financial penalties in medieval courts.
Being an amercer was an unpopular job—local people often resented judges with this power, and some historical records show angry crowds pursuing amercers out of towns where fines were seen as unjust.
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