What Gordon County Magistrate Court Can and Cannot Decide (Criminal & Civil Limits)

Gordon County Magistrate Court has limited jurisdiction. On the criminal side, it's involved early - especially when issuing arrest and search warrants. On the civil side, it can try disputes when the amount at stake is $15,000 or less. That's why people sometimes call it a "small claims" court for everyday conflicts.

• ✓ Presides over and conducts trials for certain misdemeanors and county ordinance violations
• ✓ Handles civil procedures such as dispossessory matters and other listed civil proceedings
• ✓ Conducts first appearances and sets bonds in criminal matters

Magistrate Court can directly handle - and sometimes try - specific misdemeanor charges and county ordinance violations. In Gordon County, examples include misdemeanor bad checks, criminal trespass, alcohol violations involving people under 21, shoplifting, and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. One detail that matters for families: misdemeanor bad check cases have a dollar threshold. If the check is $1,500 or less, Magistrate Court can actually decide guilt or innocence on that charge. It's not just a preliminary stop before another court.

• ✓ County ordinance violations (the court can preside over and conduct trials)
• ✓ Misdemeanor bad check cases (including adjudicating guilt/innocence when the check is $1,500 or less)
• ✓ Criminal trespass
• ✓ Alcohol beverage violations involving persons under 21 years of age
• ✓ Shoplifting
• ✓ Possession of marijuana less than one ounce

Even when Magistrate Court won't ultimately decide a charge, it can still play a key early role. Gordon County Magistrate Court conducts first appearances and sets bonds. That's why a Magistrate Court date often shows up quickly after an arrest - sometimes before the case's main court is even involved.

For felonies or cases assigned to Superior Court, Magistrate Court doesn't decide guilt or innocence. Its role is limited to determining whether there's enough probable cause for the case to move forward. A Magistrate Court appearance in a felony situation is about whether the case can proceed - not about a final verdict. The case then continues to the court with authority to fully resolve it.

On the civil side, Gordon County Magistrate Court can try claims when the amount in dispute is $15,000 or less. If your dispute exceeds that limit, it won't fit within this court's trial authority.

• ✓ Dispossessory proceedings (landlord/tenant possession cases)
• ✓ Distress warrant proceedings
• ✓ Abandoned motor vehicle matters
• ✓ Foreclosures
• ✓ Garnishments

Magistrate Court can also affect how quickly someone gets out of jail. The court may grant bail in all cases - unless that authority belongs exclusively to another court or officer. Combined with its role in first appearances and bond settings, this is often where families first learn whether bond will be available and what conditions apply.

Before a case reaches trial, Gordon County Magistrate Court handles warrant work. The court hears applications for and issues arrest and search warrants. It may also hold courts of inquiry and conduct warrant application hearings. In practice, this means evidence is sometimes presented to a judge before a warrant is issued - rather than a warrant being issued automatically.