How do they match: Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

  • Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.

  • Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
  • Conduct preliminary hearings to decide issues, such as whether there is reasonable and probable cause to hold defendants in felony cases.
  • Impose restrictions upon parties in civil cases until trials can be held.
  • Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
  • Write decisions on cases.

  • Identify implications for cases from legal precedents or other legal information.
  • Make decisions in legal cases.