Put up before court (5)
I believe the answer is:
erect
'put up' is the definition.
('erect' can be a synonym of 'put up')
'before court' is the wordplay.
'before' becomes 'ere' (usually literary).
'court' becomes 'ct'.
'ere'+'ct'='ERECT'
(Other definitions for erect that I've seen before include "Rigidly upright" , "Unbowed" , "Build, upright" , "Build, put up" , "Found" .)