Judge
Vickie Sue McWaters
Magistrate Court
Judge McWaters has been honorably serving as Troup County Magistrate Court Judge since 1987.
Magistrate courts are county courts that issue warrants, hear minor criminal offenses and civil claims involving amounts of $15,000 or less. A chief magistrate is usually elected in each county; other magistrates may be appointed by the chief magistrate, though some also run for election.
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.
Assistance:
If you require assistance in the filing of any claim, civil or criminal, please do not hesitate to call our office.
This site will attempt to answer some general questions about our hours, fees and operations. Although it cannot answer all questions we are hopeful that you will find the information helpful. Please feel free to call us to ask any questions you may have about our procedures, costs and any other information you need.
To access forms online click here:Georgia Magistrate Council
For all criminal inquiries contact: tduffey@troupcountyga.gov.
For all civil inquiries contact: tward@troupcountyga.gov.