All About The Justice Of The Peace

By Patricia Foster


When it comes to infractions of peace, courts of law accordingly deal with them. However, this comes in gradations, and unless one does something specifically heinous or controversial, then the case need not transcend to higher courts, for better or worse. There lies the importance and purpose of a Justice of The Peace Salem.

This judicial officer deals with cases which are definitive of conserving the peace, especially when it comes to civil controversies. They hear out criminal complaints that are minor in scale, and also deal with petty offenders. They are virtually in the same league as police or peace officers, only in this case, they deal with the administrations and pronouncements rather than engage in all out action per se.

These civil public officers basically perform judicial acts, and they come in sundry appellation in many different places and points of time. Historically, for example, they have been called wardens, or keepers or conservators of peace. Nowadays, they are variously referred to as magistrates or district judges. Their jurisdiction is generally limited to townships, precincts, counties, cities, and in some cases, states.

The JP necessarily has to be someone of good nature and stature in the community, with no adverse record at the very least. Although the criteria of appointment are diverse, this is pretty rigid. He has to be knowledgeable and trustworthy, given the technicality of his functions, like certifying copies, witnessing and signing statutory affidavits, and some such sensitive operations that they are authorized to do by virtue of their position.

For instance, they may preside over cases of traffic violations, neighbor disputes, or else small debt repayments, and other relatively small scale lawsuits. In sum, they serve as entry level courts, and the particular case may therein be resolved or else passed to the high court. In that sense, they are convenient since they offer an accessible outlet which people can approach without complicated logistics and without the bane of longer distances.

Mandatory duties are outlined in the law, such that they should be an active board member of civil authorities. They must assist on Election Day, and they should preside on tax appeals and be a board member in cases of tax abatement. The negligence of these duties may result in penalizations. On the other hand, discretionary tasks include presiding over marriages, serving as magistrates, administering oaths, and some such. These are functions in which JPs have power to perform but they do not really have to, but when their services are tapped upon, then they must not discriminate based on prohibited factors like race, sexual orientation, religion, et cetera.

Generally speaking, JPs are like lay officers in the court of law. Therefore, the judicial duties they perform are quite technical and specialized, since they need to be duly authorized by a chief judge, so that they could authoritatively carry out their duties. By exercising these vested judicial duties, they proffer a very nifty service to their fellow community members.

In order to become a JP, one has to be appointed in case of vacancies or generally elected in elections. They are county officers in essence, even though elected in townships. However, to be a true blue JP, it takes more than just success in your election claims and endeavors. A good head on ones shoulders certainly qualifies. Although a law degree is not requisite, common sense certainly is. Most importantly, one must have a sharp sense of justice and fairness. He must be open minded and an able listener. He must be constantly respectful, not taking to account differences in social standing, race, or whatnot.

This justice occupies an office that is by consensus the most popular and numerous membership of public office. In fact, in a certain town of average population, there may be at least five justices. In considerably populated towns, there may even be as many as fifteen. However, although they are not really present and conspicuous, it would do to remark on the good service and usefulness of this office.




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