A magistrate is a civil officer who holds executive, legislative, or judicial authority. It commonly refers to lower court justices, such as justices of the peace. Federal magistrates are appointed by District Court judges to hear and decide pre-trial motions, conduct hearings, and submit proposed findings of fact and recommendations to the District Court judges. The term may be used generically to refer to any judge of a court, or anyone officially performing a judge's functions.
The following is a list of some types of duties that may be performed by a magistrate:
