(a) A magistrate shall preside only in cases and proceedings under Alaska Stat. § 22.15.040, 22.15.100, and 22.15.110, and as follows:

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Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 22.15.120

  • action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • property: includes real and personal property. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • writing: includes printing. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
(1) for the recovery of money or damages only when the amount claimed, exclusive of costs, interest, and attorney fees, does not exceed $10,000;
(2) for the recovery of specific personal property when the value of the property claimed and the damages for the detention do not exceed $10,000;
(3) for the recovery of a penalty or forfeiture, whether given by statute or arising out of contract, not exceeding $10,000;
(4) to give judgment without action upon the confession of the defendant for any of the cases specified in this section, except for a penalty or forfeiture imposed by statute;
(5) to give judgment of conviction upon a plea of guilty or no contest by the defendant in a criminal proceeding within the jurisdiction of the district court;
(6) to hear, try, and enter judgments in all cases involving misdemeanors that are not minor offenses if the defendant consents in writing that the magistrate may try the case;
(7) to hear, try, and enter judgments in all cases involving minor offenses and violations of ordinances of political subdivisions;
(8) for the extradition of fugitives as authorized under Alaska Stat. Chapter 12.70;
(9) to provide post-conviction relief under the Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure for any of the cases specified in (5), (6), or (7) of this subsection if the conviction occurred in the district court; or
(10) to hear, try, and enter judgments in actions for the payment of wages brought by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development as provided in Alaska Stat. § 22.15.040(a).
(b) A magistrate may not preside in small claims cases under Alaska Stat. § 22.15.040 when service is made on a defendant outside the state under Rule 11(a)(4)(C), District Court Rules of Civil Procedure.
(c) In this section, “minor offense” means

(1) an offense classified by statute as an infraction or a violation;
(2) an offense for which a bail forfeiture amount has been authorized by statute and established by supreme court order; or
(3) a statutory offense for which a conviction cannot result in incarceration, a fine greater than $300, or the loss of a valuable license.
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