Court System

The Bacon County Superior Court handles both civil and criminal law actions, presiding over cases involving misdemeanors, contract disputes, premises liability, and various other actions. In addition, the Superior Court has exclusive equity jurisdiction over all cases of divorce, title to land, and felonies involving jury trials, including death penalty cases.

Bacon County State Court hears misdemeanors including traffic violations, issues search and arrest warrants, holds preliminary hearings in criminal cases, and tries civil matters not reserved exclusively for the Superior Court.

Bacon County Magistrate Court issues warrants, hears minor criminal offenses and civil claims involving amounts of $15,000 or less. Magistrate Court is the court of first resort for many civil disputes including: county ordinance violations, dispossessories, landlord/tenant cases, and bad checks. In criminal matters magistrates hold preliminary hearings; issue search warrants to law enforcement and also warrants for the arrest of a particular person. In some criminal matters magistrates are authorized to set bail for defendants. No jury trials are held in magistrate court; civil cases are often argued by the parties themselves, rather than by attorneys.