In U.S. federal courts, a magistrate is a judicial officer who assists and supports district court judges in managing their civil or criminal caseloads by handling certain types of legal matters from the bench.
Notes:
- Magistrates handle pretrial matters, administrative tasks, and other judicial proceedings assigned to them by district court judges.
- In certain types of cases, magistrates can conduct trials in certain cases with the consent of the parties involved and issue legal rulings on specific matters.
