A new video produced by Arlington County explains how the local Office of the Magistrate works.
Magistrates are independent judicial officers who determine whether probable cause exists for criminal complaints by law enforcement officers and members of the public.
“Magistrate duties include issuing various types of processes such as arrest warrants, summonses, bonds, search warrants, and medical detention orders,” according to the county’s website. “Magistrates also conduct bail hearings in instances in which an individual is arrested on a warrant charging him or her with a criminal offense. Magistrates provide services 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Arlington magistrate’s office is located at 2020 15th Street N., on the ground floor of the county jail.
The young woman seen being arrested and locked up in the video, for the record, was an intern in the police department’s media relations and public affairs office, not an actual criminal.
