Real talk - What is a clerk magistrate anyway?
If you've just received a summons for a show-cause hearing, you're probably scrambling to figure out what is a clerk magistrate and why you have to see one instead of a judge. It's a common point of confusion for anyone who hasn't spent much time in a courthouse. Most of us grow up watching legal dramas where there's a judge in a black robe and a jury in a box, but the reality of the legal system involves a lot of "behind-the-scenes" players who hold a surprising amount of power. The clerk magistrate is exactly that kind of person. ...