Magistrate Judges Took Bribes, Stole Money and Mishandled Cases. South Carolina Officials Now Want

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Virginia has more or less the same arrangement with Magistrates.

Not judges who may (or may not) have experience in even pedestrian matters such as municipal traffic law.

Joe Blow can be a Magistrate and "wing" justice without fulling knowing the law. It's a system that just invites corruption.

I practice law in a small town in NJ. While the municipal judges may side more times than not with the Police, against my clients, at least I have a shot at appeals as it's presumed that the judge knows the law and/or can do appropriate legal analysis.