"Clerk-Magistrates and Assistant Clerk-Magistrates serve many roles in a court including
managing their office, administering court sessions and conducting various hearings including
criminal show cause hearings pursuant to the law. In addition to the making the determination of
probable cause in statutorily mandated criminal show cause hearings, the Supreme Judicial Court
has stated that one purpose of show cause/ clerk-magistrate hearings is to enable the ClerkMagistrate to screen minor criminal or potential criminal matters out of the criminal justice
system through the use of a combination of counseling, discussion or the threat of criminal
prosecution. The role of the show cause hearings and the role of the Clerk-Magistrates in these
cases is consistent with the recently passed Criminal Justice Reform legislation that supports
diversion, increased impoundment and other efforts to avoid the further entanglement of a person
into the criminal justice system."
- Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey and Court Administrator Jon Williams