Associate Municipal Judge

Job Summary

The purpose of this position is to serve as a judicial officer of the Town of Bluffton Municipal Court and perform judicial functions in accordance with the South Carolina Constitution, South Carolina Code of Laws, applicable court rules, Town ordinances, and established standards of judicial conduct. The Associate Municipal Court Judge will primarily serve as an on-call judicial officer, requests for arrest warrants, search warrants, and other judicial matters requiring action outside of regularly scheduled Municipal Court sessions. The Judge exercises independent and impartial judicial judgment when determining whether the legal requirements for issuance of a warrant or other judicial action have been satisfied. The Associate Municipal Court Judge may also preside over Municipal Court proceedings and perform other judicial duties as assigned by the Chief Municipal Court Judge or otherwise authorized by law.

Essential Job Functions

Serves as an on-call judicial officer for the Town of Bluffton Municipal Court.
Maintains availability during assigned on-call periods to respond to requests from authorized law enforcement personnel and other appropriate applicants for judicial review.
Reviews applications for arrest warrants, search warrants, and other warrants presented.
Reviews sworn affidavits, applications, supporting documentation, testimony, and other information submitted in support of warrant requests.
Independently determines whether the information presented establishes the requisite probable cause and satisfies applicable statutory and constitutional requirements.
Issues or declines to issue warrants based solely upon the applicable law and facts presented, without consideration of outside influence or pressure.
Ensures that warrants accurately identify the person, place, property, or offense as required by law.
Remains available and reachable throughout assigned on-call periods and comply with established Town and Court procedures for after-hours judicial contact.
Performs judicial functions in a manner that protects constitutional rights while allowing law enforcement officers to address legitimate public-safety concerns.
Presides over Municipal Court sessions as assigned.
Adjudicates misdemeanor, traffic, ordinance, and other matters properly brought before the Court.
Coordinates appropriately with the Chief Municipal Court Judge, Court staff, prosecutors, defense counsel, law enforcement, and other justice-system participants while preserving judicial independence.
Understands that after-hours judicial matters may arise at unpredictable times, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. Admission to and maintenance of good standing with the South Carolina Bar.
Meets all statutory qualifications for appointment and service as a municipal judge in South Carolina.
Relevant legal experience demonstrates competence in criminal law, municipal law, judicial proceedings, or related areas.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is sedentary work and requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. In addition, positions in this classification typically require grasping, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, lifting, manual dexterity, mental acuity, repetitive motion, speaking, expressing ideas by the spoken word, and visual acuity to analyze data/determine accuracy or observe facilities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Duties are performed An Associate Municipal Judge in South Carolina works primarily in a professional indoor courtroom and office setting, featuring sedentary tasks with occasional standing, walking, and light lifting.

The Town of Bluffton has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.

The Town of Bluffton commits to a policy of equal employment opportunity for applicants and employees, complying with local, state and federal laws. The Town’s policy is to employ qualified persons without discrimination regarding race, creed, color, religion, age, sex, country of national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political affiliation, ethnicity, or status in any other group protected by federal/state/local law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.