What is a U.S. Magistrate Judge?
Magistrate judges are appointed by the district court to serve for eight-year terms. Their duties fall into four general categories: conducting most of the initial proceedings in a criminal case (including, but not limited to search and arrest warrants, detention hearings, probable cause hearings, and appointment of attorneys); trial of certain criminal misdemeanor cases,; trial of civil cases with the consent of both parties,; and conducting a wide variety of other proceedings referred to them by district judges (including deciding motions, viewing petitions filed by prisoners, and conducting pretrial and settlement conferences).
