Tuesday, February 12, 2019

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.

The JP has quite a wide range of duties outlined in his job description. For instance, aside from the civil infractions, they can be asked to perform civil marriages. Nowadays, they are often busy administering same sex marriages, since some religious officials do not recognize it and the task is therefore nearly wholly delegated to civil administrators, who may be penalized if they refuse.

A JP is a kind of puisne judge. Basically speaking, that is like a judge of a lower court, in contradistinction to the superior court or chief justices, for instance. They preside in common law jurisdictions, dealing with civil or domestic infractions.

In some states, this oath taking is accordingly presided by a superior judge, another JP, district court judge, or else a justice of the supreme court. The copy of this oath should be forwarded to the town clerk, or else the JP may be disqualified from performing in his office, and also fined. Once they assume office, they preside and take action in many responsibilities, some mandatory and some discretionary.

For their court duties, they typically preside over small scale civil or domestic cases. The common actualities include misdemeanors, landlord and tenants or neighbor disputes, small debts, traffic violations, and other comparatively petty breaches. Compared to other courts, the proceedings with a JP are relatively fast and a lot less formal.

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.

JPs have a wide range of tasks and responsibilities cut out for them. They may issue warrants and summons, preside in mediations, dealing with various kinds of preliminary applications, or conducting release hearings in the interim. In point of fact, their duties greatly depend on the particular needs or identity of the community. But more considerably, it also greatly depends on the abilities, knowhow, and service orientation of the justice.




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