Magistrates :

Magistrates are attorneys-at-law who are appointed by the court to preside over civil cases. The case proceeds in the same manner as if before a judge. The magistrate issues a decision which includes findings of fact and conclusions of law. If the decision is accepted by all parties and the court, it becomes the final judgment in the case. If any party files objections to the magistrate's decision, an assigned judge will review the objections and either uphold the magistrate's decision, modify the decision, send the case back to the magistrate for additional testimony, or order the case placed on the assigned judge's trial docket for retrial.