This book is by no means an exhaustive treatise on civil or criminal law or even on the Magistrate Court. This book is written to give insight into the uses of the court and into many areas of the law which are dealt with by the court. The Magistrate Court can handle suits for money owed, suits or claims for damage to person or property, landlord tenant disputes, and good behavior warrants. The court can also issue garnishments, writs of possession for personal property, and foreclosure of liens upon abandoned motor vehicles. The criminal jurisdiction of the Magistrate Court includes granting bail in all but a few types of cases.
Magistrates issue criminal arrest and search warrants.
They may cite parties for contempt, conduct trials of county ordinance violations and certain state ordinance violations and try misdemeanor bad check violations in those cases where there has been no demand for a jury trial. Under certain circumstances, magistrates may also sit as municipal court judges where the county has contracted with a municipality to provide municipal court services through the Magistrate Court. This book is concerned with the civil jurisdiction of Magistrate Courts which is very broad when compared to the state's predecessor courts of limited jurisdiction. The Magistrate Court system continues to grow. It has proven to be a useful and time-saving arm of the judicial system.