Justice of the peace is an officer of a township, county, or other small unit of government in some states. Justices of the peace have limited judicial powers. They usually hear civil cases that involve small sums of money. Justices of the peace may be appointed by the governor or elected by the people.
The powers of a justice of the peace vary in different states. Justices of the peace may have the power to punish people for breaking minor criminal laws, such as traffic laws. They do not usually have power to hear serious criminal cases. Sometimes they decide whether an accused person should be held for a grand jury, which then will decide whether the person should stand trial. Justices of the peace also may be empowered to perform marriage services. The trend has been to abolish this office and transfer its functions to other courts. In large cities, police magistrates perform the same functions as justices of the peace.
