Duties & Responsibilities
Understand the organization and background of our court.ORGANIZATION
Monongalia County has four magistrate judges, who each select 1 of 4 divisions (or districts) when running for office. Magistrates are elected as part of the primary ballot during presidential election years.
These divisions are often confused with the county’s current three magisterial districts. In reality, they are just numbers, not associated with any territory. Magistrates can reside anywhere in the county in which they serve.
Ron Bane lives in Morgantown and is easily accessible to the court for emergencies after hours that require attention at our county’s Justice Center.
BACKGROUND
Magistrate judges are rooted in our state’s “Justice of the Peace” system, which was inherited from Virginia. By statewide referendum, West Virginia voters reformed the old court system into today’s model, which changed with the 1976 election when voters began electing “Magistrates” instead.
In 2015, voters reformed courts in our state again to make all judicial races non-partisan and part of the primary ballot. This started during the May 2016 election, which is why party affiliation isn’t listed on the judicial ballot. You can vote for Ron Bane in Division 1 as well as a candidate in any of the other three divisions.
Ron Bane is a registered independent who holds no party affiliation. Bane can comfortably and confidently talk with voters of any (or no) party, and is freely available to talk with citizens, taxpayers and voters about a range of issues, so long as they don’t relate to current cases, nor could be perceived or construed to bias future business.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
As Magistrate in Monongalia County’s Division 1, Ron Bane abides by the code of judicial conduct & trial court rules:
Use training & sound judgement to apply & enforce:
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State laws
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Municipal laws
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Court procedures
Preside over:
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Civil cases with disputes less than $10,000
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Misdemeanor cases
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Felony case preliminary examinations
Issue & record criminal case-related:
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Affidavits
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Complaints
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Arrest warrants
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Search warrants
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Bail amounts
Decide criminal case-related:
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Plea agreements
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Court cost collections
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Cash bonds
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Fines
In cases involving domestic violence:
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Issue emergency protective orders
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Immediately enter domestic violence petitions into the Domestic Violence Database and Registry
In cases involving mental hygiene:
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Manage all or part of probable cause involuntary hospitalization cases
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Enter mental hygiene orders into West Virginia’s Mental Health Registry
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Issue applications and temporary placement orders after hours and on weekends, when needed