If you are the magistrate, then this is important reading for you; if not, then this article should be required reading for your staff. Here are the top mistakes made by magistrates at 32 waddell street marietta ga 30090 who need to improve their performance. Like most things in life, these problems can be realized and solved with a good set of tools and techniques that the magistrate will want to apply to their work. This article will help them identify what they need so they can avoid making these mistakes in the future.
1. Not understanding your role.
But here is what most magistrates don’t realize is that you are a judge and you should act like one. You are a judge and you should act like one. You need to be impartial, unbiased, patient, kind, understanding and fair. How many times have we heard of or done something as a magistrate that we thought was right, only to find out later in a judicial review committee that we were wrong?
The only reason why anyone needs to talk to you is if they have been arrested or cited for an alleged offense. They need the advice of a magistrate. So give it to them.
2. Being too busy.
Another problem, which may be caused by the first problem, is that many magistrates are so busy that they do not have enough time to do all their work properly. If you have been a magistrate for very long, then you have probably seen this before. Courts are complicated places and there are lots and lots of things to learn before you can do your job well and help the citizens who need your help.
3. Not reading the entire case file before making a ruling (or decision).
The only thing that matters is what is in the case file and what can be reasonably interpreted from what is in the case file. I know that you have been taught to keep an open mind until you have all of the facts, but that is not always possible. You cannot get all of the facts in every case and sometimes you will never get them. Cases are just too complicated for magistrates to be able to make rulings or decisions based on what they think happened or what they want to happen in any given case. It is simply not fair or reasonable to do so.
4. Getting too involved with your emotions when making a ruling (or decision).
As a magistrate, you should do your best to avoid getting too emotional about anything. You should be fair and kind, but you cannot let your emotions make decisions for you. If you are like me, and I know that many of you are, then you find it very difficult to keep yourself from getting emotional about your rulings. However, the only thing that matters is the law and what can be reasonably interpreted from it. When making a ruling or decision in any case there is no room for emotion or opinion of any kind; there is only room for what the law says and what can reasonably be interpreted from what the law says.
5. Being rushed while making a ruling (or decision).
Time pressure is a big problem for many magistrates. It is not something that you can control and it is not something that you can fix. You will just have to do the best you can with it. However, you should do your best to avoid letting time pressure affect your rulings or decisions. If you start to feel rushed or pressed for time, then take a break from the case and come back fresh later to finish it off. A rushed decision is often inconsistent, biased, incomplete and wrong—things that no magistrate wants their decisions to be accused of being.
6. Not realizing when (and how) to help people who are in distress during a hearing or court proceeding
Your job as a magistrate is not to judge the people who come to you in need of your help, but rather, to help them. This is probably the most important thing that you need to do as a magistrate. Many magistrates have been taught by their mentors, peers or supervisors that it is not appropriate or correct for them to speak during proceedings or hearings. This is absolutely incorrect. If someone in distress needs your help, then you must speak up and give it. As a public servant, part of your job is to help anyone who comes to you needing your help while they are in distress just because they asked for it.
Summary:
If you are a magistrate or the magistrate, then you need to do these things. If you cannot follow these rules and guidelines well, then perhaps the job of being a magistrate is not for you. If you can follow them well, then there is no doubt about it; your performance will greatly improve and your staffs’ morale will increase. The citizens of your county will be better served as a result.
One last important thing to mention is that if you want to avoid making some of these mistakes, then you should talk with one or more attorneys in private practice who handle criminal law cases.
