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From YouTube: Office of the Magistrate: Arlington County
Description
Ever wonder what the role of the magistrate in Arlington county is? Magistrates are independent judicial officers who work directly for the Supreme Court of Virginia. The principal function of the magistrate is to provide an independent, unbiased review of complaints of criminal conduct brought to the office by law enforcement or the general public.
All complaints filed with the Magistrate's office must be done so in person and in writing. For more information about the Office of the Magistrate, visit the county's webpage, and search "Magistrate."
A
Ever
wonder
what
the
role
of
the
magistrate
in
Arlington
County
is:
magistrates
are
independent
judicial
officers
who
work
directly
for
the
Supreme
Court
of
Virginia.
The
principle
function
of
the
magistrate
is
to
provide
an
independent,
unbiased
review
of
complaints
of
criminal
conduct
brought
to
the
office
by
law
enforcement
or
the
general
public.
B
Oh,
the
magistrate's
office
is
there
for
the
citizens.
We
listen
to
complaints
from
the
citizens
and
law
enforcement
to
establish
whether
probable
cause
exists
and
if
probable
cause
does
exist
and
we
will
issue
a
warrant.
The
Virginia
Constitution
puts
a
magistrate
there
to
be
the
trustees
of
the
citizens.
We
are
the
people
who
listens
to
what's
brought
before
us
to
see
if
it
should
go
further
or
where
it
should
go.
If
that's
there
to
protect
the
citizens,
the.
C
Main
role
of
the
magistrate
in
Arlington
County
is
to
be
the
first
point
of
contact
for
someone
going
through
the
criminal
justice
system.
Here
we
are
an
independent,
unbiased
judicial
officer.
Whenever
the
police
arrest
someone
they're
going
to
bring
them
to
the
jail,
the
first
judicial
officer
they're
going
to
meet
as
the
magistrate
the
magistrate
decides.
C
If
there
is
probable
cause
for
the
person
to
have
been
arrested,
that's
going
to
be
based
upon
the
testimony
of
the
officer
and
the
facts
that
are
presented
and
to
also
decide
if
that
person
is
a
danger
to
the
community
or
if
there's
a
concern,
they
won't
appear
in
court
and
to
set
a
bond
or
to
hold
them
without
bail
or
decide
if
they
can
be
released
on
their
personal
recognizance
back
into
the
community
until
their
first
court
appearance.
A
magistrate.
D
Is
involved
and
can
be
involved
in
a
process
at
any
point?
What
that
means,
of
course,
is
that
we
often
see
people
at
their
worst
and
we
often
see
things
when
they're
really
happening.
However,
masters
have
so
many
duties
that
they
can
in
fact
intervene
or
be
involved
at
any
stage
in
the
process.
If
you're
posting
an
appeal,
the
Masters
involved,
if
you're
posting
your
bond,
the
Masters
involved,
if
you're
on
probation
and
it
KB's
needs
to
be
issued,
the
max
will
be
involved,
so
a
master
can
be
involved
at
any
stage
in
the
process.
D
C
B
Citizen
filing
a
criminal
complaint
with
the
officer,
the
magistrate
er
must
do
so
in
writing
and
under
oath.
No
magistrate
may
issue
an
arrest
warrant
for
a
felony
offense
upon
the
basis
of
a
complaint
by
a
person
other
than
a
law
enforcement
officer
or
an
animal
control
officer
without
prior
authorization
by
the
attorney
for
the
common
or
by
a
law-enforcement
agency
having
jurisdiction
over
the
alleged
offense.
What.
D
A
master
does
is
determine
whether
there's
enough
evidence
based
on
certain
findings.
The
statute
makes,
and
someone
is
in
the
throes
of
mental
illness.
They're,
either
incapable
to
taking
care
of
themselves
or
they're
a
danger
to
themselves
or
to
others.
Then
a
master
must
make
to
determine
whether
or
not
to
hold
this
person
in
a
hospital
pending.
A
hearing
before
a
special
justice
has
determined
their
commitment
to
the
mill
institutions
will
bring
us
that
evidence.
D
C
Commit
the
person
a
magistrate
can
issue
an
emergency
custody
order,
which
is
in
order
to
have
the
person
brought
to
a
mental
health
therapist
to
get
an
evaluation
to
determine
if
the
person
is
a
danger
to
the
community
or
or
is
unable
to
provide
for
their
basic
care.
If
the
magistrate
has
probable
cause
to
believe
that
that
person
suffers
from
a
mental
illness
and
is
a
danger
to
the
community
or
to
themselves
or
is
unable
to
provide
for
their
basic
care,
there.
B
Are
currently
eight
magistrates
assigned
to
Arlington
County
and
the
city
of
Falls
Church,
all
magistrates
are
appointed
and
supervised
by
the
executive
secretary
of
the
Supreme
Court
of
Virginia.
We
have
regional
authority,
so
any
magistrate
assigned
to
our
region
has
the
same
authority
in
Arlington,
Alexandria,
Prince,
William
and
Fairfax,
we're
there
24
hours
a
day.
So
when
a
decision,
judicial
decision
needs
to
be
made
in
the
middle
of
the
night
two
o'clock
in
the
morning
on
the
holidays.
That's
when
the
magistrate
service
services,
citizens.
C
Come
directly
to
the
magistrate's
office
were
open,
24
hours
a
day,
seven
days
a
week
to
make
complaint
sort
of
to
get
information
or
to
pay
traffic
fines
or
to
post
bond
some
of
the
rulings
are.
Outcomes
of
a
magistrate
would
include,
of
course,
issuing
warrants
to
have
people
arrested,
issuing
a
search
warrants
to
have
persons
or
property
searched,
issuing
emergency
custody
orders
and
temporary
detention
orders
and
emergency
protective
orders,
which
are
orders
banning
individuals
from
having
any
contact
with
people
in
the
county.
The.
B
Magistrate's
office,
we
have
a
great
working
relationship
with
the
police
department,
the
community
services
boards
and
many
other
agencies.
But
you
have
to
remember
that
a
magistrate
is
impartial
and
unbiased
and
where
we
have
a
good
working
relationship
with
them,
they
don't
dictate
what
we
do.
We're
independent
judicial
officers
and
we
listen
to
things
that
are
brought
to
us
and
to
see
if
probable
cause
exists
or
do
to
make
the
judicial
decisions
that
need
to
be
made.