Legal Definitions - Magistrate Judge, U.S.

A Magistrate Judge, U.S. is a federal judicial officer who handles civil and criminal pretrial matters. They may also conduct civil trials or criminal misdemeanor trials. They are governed by 28 USCA §§ 631–639.

For example, if someone is accused of a minor crime like shoplifting, a Magistrate Judge may preside over the trial instead of a higher-level judge.

Magistrate Judges are sometimes also called federal magistrates or United States Magistrates. Before 1990, they were known as United States Magistrates. They may also be referred to as parajudges.

Overall, Magistrate Judges play an important role in the federal court system by handling many of the preliminary matters that come before a trial.