For many citizens, small claims court is the first and only contact with the Judicial System of North Carolina. Magistrates are officers of the District Court and have jurisdiction in both criminal and civil cases. In criminal cases, the pretrial process begins with the magistrate, whose primary function in the judicial system of North Carolina is to provide an independent, unbiased review of charges and complaints by law enforcement officers or citizens. The magistrate determines if, and to what extent, further action is warranted when a police officer or a citizen claims that a crime has been committed. The number of magistrates allowed for each county is established by the General Assembly of North Carolina and they are appointed to two-year terms by the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge, on nomination by the Clerk of Court.
Magistrates issue arrest warrants, search warrants, summonses, and set the conditions for bail.
The magistrate is the only civil official in the State that is allowed to perform marriages. In Hillsborough, the Magistrate's Office is located on Court Street in the same building that houses the Orange County Jail. A satellite Magistrate's Office is located in Chapel Hill on Airport Road in the same building that houses the Chapel Hill Police Department. A magistrate is on duty in each office 24 hours a day. The current magistrates in Orange County are Lucius Cheshire, Jr., Amy Efland, Rex Frederick, Gerald Koelling, Loy Long, John Maddry, Benjamin Popkin, John Stokes, and Arthur Summey.