Magistrate’s Court hears civil cases involving landlord tenant issues and injury or property damage where the claim is under $7500.00. Magistrate Courts also handle traffic and criminal cases where the fine is no more than $2000.00 and/or 90 days.
Mission-
The mission of the Magistrate Court is to provide the citizens of Laurens County with a fair and impartial Summary Court. The magistrates perform the following:
- Issue criminal arrest and search warrants
- Conduct bail bond hearings four times daily to determine how a defendant should be released from detention
- Conduct preliminary hearings for General Sessions level cases
- Conduct jury trials for all magistrate level cases
- Conduct criminal hearings to include such offenses such as Criminal Domestic Violence, Malicious Injury to Personal Property, Trespassing, County Ordinance Violations, etc.
- Conduct traffic hearings to include Driving Under the Influence, Driving Under Suspension, Failure to Pay Property Tax, etc.
- Conduct civil hearings including landlord/tenant hearings, summons and complaint cases (to claim disputed funds), claim and delivery cases (to reclaim property), and public sales of abandoned vehicles
- A magistrate may impose a fine with court assessments of up to $5242.50 and/or a penalty of up to a 180 day sentence. The civil jurisdiction is $7500.00.
Online Services
Summary Court Dockets- link*
Public Court Records Search-link*
Traffic Court Payments-link*