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| mag·is·trate [ májji stràyt, májjistrət ] (plural mag·is·trates) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. lower court judge: a judge in a lower court whose jurisdiction is limited to the trial of misdemeanors and the conduct of preliminary hearings on more serious charges
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2. local law officer: a minor law officer or member of a local judiciary with extremely limited powers, e.g. a justice of the peace who deals with traffic violations
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| [14th century. < Latin magistratus< magister "master"] |
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 mag·is·trate·ship noun |
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