Title 16, COURTS AND JUDICIARY

A magistrate court with a clerk magistrate presiding has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts, in noncontested civil actions or noncontested small claims proceedings where the amount of money or damage does not exceed twelve thousand dollars, to take the necessary evid…

Except in a small claims proceeding, a verbatim record of all proceedings and evidence at trial before a clerk magistrate must be maintained either by an electronic device or by stenographic means, as the magistrate may direct. If no record is kept, the appeal, if appeal is autho…

Unless appeal is denied by law, there is a right of appeal to the circuit court from any final order or judgment of the magistrate court with a clerk magistrate presiding, and such appeal shall be taken in the manner prescribed by law or rule for appeals to the circuit court. Sou…

No person is eligible for appointment to the office of clerk magistrate unless such person is a graduate of a high school or has attained the equivalent of a high school education as indicated by the possession of a certificate of equivalency issued by the State Department of Edu…

The presiding judge of each circuit shall immediately following the appointment of a clerk magistrate certify to the state court administrator the name and address of each appointee and principal place or places that the appointee is to function. The state court administrator sha…

No clerk magistrate may take office for the first time as a magistrate until such person has attended an institute on the duties and functioning of the magistrate's office to be held under the supervision of the Supreme Court, unless such attendance is waived by the Supreme Court…

The Supreme Court shall establish the institute and shall provide that the institute be held at least once every two years. It may establish an institute at such other times and for such other purposes as it deems necessary and may require the attendance of any clerk magistrate. …

A clerk magistrate appointed pursuant to this chapter may solemnize marriages. The clerk of courts shall collect a fee of twenty dollars for a clerk magistrate's performance of a marriage. The clerk of courts shall remit fees collected under this section to the state treasurer fo…

. A clerk magistrate appointed pursuant to this chapter has authority to administer oaths, take acknowledgments, and depositions. Source: SL 2003, ch 117 , § 33.

A magistrate court with a clerk magistrate presiding has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts to issue summonses, warrants of arrest, and warrants for searches and seizures, but not to issue warrants or summonses on indictment. Source: SL 2003, ch 117 , § 34; SL 2006, …

No party may be deprived of the assistance of an attorney, at the party's expense, in small claims or magistrate court. Source: SL 2003, ch 117 , § 35.

A magistrate court with a clerk magistrate presiding has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts to act as a committing magistrate if voluntary and knowledgeable waiver of preliminary hearing has been given before the court. The magistrate court may conduct preliminary he…