What is the difference between a judge and a magistrate?

In the State of Florida, a judge and a magistrate have different roles in the court system. A judge is a government official who oversees trials and makes legal decisions. In Florida, they are appointed by the governor and serve for life. Judges have the authority to decide whether someone did, or did not, commit a crime and they can dish out sentences accordingly. A magistrate is a court official who also has authority to make legal decisions, but their decisions are usually limited to the civil realm. This means that they are responsible for making decisions on things such as small claims court, pre-trial matters and hearings involving defendant will appear in court when required.">bail. Magistrates are appointed by local government officials and serve for a fixed term, unlike judges who serve for life. For the most part, judges are the higher-ranking court officials and they hold more jurisdiction than magistrates. Judges are involved in the higher stakes cases that involve more complex legal issues, such as appeals and trials. They also have the power to overturn the decisions of magistrates if need be. In summary, the main differences between a judge and a magistrate are that judges are appointed by the governor and serve for life, whereas magistrates are appointed by local government officials and serve for a fixed term. Additionally, judges are more involved in criminal cases, while magistrates handle smaller civil issues.

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