General Information

The Suffolk Magistrates Office operates within the Department of Magistrate Services under the supervision of the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court. The Suffolk Magistrates Office also handles matters throughout the 5^th Judicial District. This includes the City of Franklin, Isle of Wight County and Southampton County.  Magistrates are independent judicial officers who provide neutral and unbiased assessments of facts presented to them by both law enforcement and the public. Magistrates do not and cannot investigate crimes. Magistrates primarily conduct hearings in which they review facts presented to them by law enforcement and citizens to determine if there is probable cause to issue criminal charges. 

In addition to issuing criminal charges based on a finding of probable cause, magistrates in Suffolk also:

• Admit criminal defendants to bail or commit them to jail
• Issue search warrants
• Issue emergency protective orders
• Issue mental health emergency custody orders and temporary detention orders
• Issue medical emergency custody orders and temporary detention orders

Hours and Directions

The Suffolk Magistrates Office is located at 2402 Godwin Blvd. on the right side of the Western Tidewater Regional Jail building. We are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hearings in the magistrates office are generally handled in the order in which they are requested, with some exceptions.

Legal Information

Magistrates cannot provide legal advice. If you need legal advice you should consult an attorney. No magistrate can recommend an attorney for you. If you need assistance finding an attorney, the Virginia State Bar offers an attorney referral service through its website and by phone at 1-800-552-7977. You can access the code of Virginia online through the Virginia Legislative Information System. 

For questions about your court date or a pending case, contact the court clerk for the court in which the case is being heard. Case information may also be available through the Virginia Judicial System website. 

The Magistrate may not disclose information on pending criminal charges. Please contact the Suffolk Police Department at 757-514-7922 for information about outstanding warrants and summonses.

Contact the Western Tidewater Regional Jail Booking Department at 757-539-3119 Ex. 543 for information on jail inmates.

More information on the Magistrates Office.