Magistrate
Mission
The mission of the 15th Judicial District Magistrate Offices is to provide knowledgeable, independent, neutral and unbiased services to the citizens of the Commonwealth as authorized by the Code of Virginia.
Who Are We?
In many instances, a citizen's first contact with Virginia’s judicial system comes through the Office of the Magistrate. Magistrate duties include issuing various processes such as arrest warrants, summonses, search warrants, emergency protective orders, emergency custody orders, temporary detention orders and certain civil warrants. Magistrate services are utilized by all law enforcement agencies in the State and individual citizens. Magistrates conduct legal research and analysis to apply relevant legal principles to the facts of each case presented while maintaining order and decorum in highly charged and sensitive circumstances. Magistrates also conduct bail hearings when an individual is arrested by law enforcement to determine whether and under what conditions the arrestee may be released from custody prior to their first court appearance or if they should be held in jail pending appearance. Magistrates provide services on an around-the-clock basis, conducting hearings in person or through the use of videoconferencing systems. Magistrate services must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including nights, weekends and holidays.
The 15th Magistrate District serves the Counties of Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Westmoreland, and the City of Fredericksburg. There are 25 full-time Magistrates, of which 9 are assigned to the Stafford Office located at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. The State pays the salaries of the Magistrates and provides all computer equipment and video systems throughout the State. Each jurisdiction is responsible for providing quarters for the Magistrates, including furniture and other required office equipment, including telephones, facsimile and copy machines, as well as other appliances and supplies necessary to maintain a 24 hour, 7 days a week operation.
During the 2022 fiscal year, Magistrates issued over 20,000 criminal processes for the jurisdictions within the 15th District, of which over 5,500 were specific to Stafford County. They also issued over 3,300 emergency protective orders, of which over 860 were for Stafford County. They issued just under 26,580 Bail Processes, of which 7,070 were for Stafford County. They issued over 2,800 search warrants, of which over 730 were returnable to the Stafford Circuit Court. Additionally, they issued over 1,700 emergency and temporary custody orders for individuals going through a mental health crisis, of which over 400 where returnable to Stafford Courts.
From these statistics, although Stafford County is just one of eleven jurisdictions that makes up 15th District, Stafford County accounts for over 25 percent of the processes issued in the District.
Budget Summary
Notable Changes
Operating
- No notable changes