Magistrate

The Magistrate is a civil officer empowered to administer the law in an independent and unbiased manner. They issue:

  • Arrest warrants
  • Bonds
  • Certain civil warrants
  • Search warrants
  • Subpoenas
  • Summonses

The magistrate holds bail hearings if an individual is arrested on a warrant for a criminal offense.

For more information on the magistrate system for the commonwealth, you may visit the Virginia Judicial System website.