Justices of the peace are judges who handle both civil and criminal cases, including small claims court, justice court, and administrative hearings. In practical terms, these are lawsuits over debts, evictions, car accidents, unlawful towing, and property.

Their criminal workload involves disposing of all class C criminal misdemeanor complaints, such as traffic citations, issuance of bad check, and others. These cases involve payment, setting contested cases for trial, and pretrial hearings with the county prosecutor.

Other duties include presiding over peace bond hearings, reviewing applications for mental health or chemically dependent commitments, conducting compulsory school attendance trials, and giving warnings to juveniles required by law. They issue warrants for and conduct hearings concerning seizure and disposition of cruelly treated animals. Most justices of the peace perform marriage ceremonies as well.

In Oregon, justices of the peace are judicial officers who preside over various legal matters at the county level. They handle civil cases, which can include small claims court matters, evictions, debt collection suits, car accidents, unlawful towing disputes, and property issues. Their jurisdiction often covers cases with financial limits, such as claims not exceeding a certain dollar amount. On the criminal side, justices of the peace deal with class C misdemeanors, which are the least serious criminal offenses and can include traffic violations, issuing bad checks, and similar infractions. They are responsible for setting trial dates for contested cases, conducting pretrial hearings, and working with the county prosecutor. Additionally, justices of the peace have the authority to preside over peace bond hearings, review involuntary commitment applications for mental health or substance abuse issues, oversee compulsory school attendance trials, and issue legally required warnings to juveniles. They also have the power to issue warrants and conduct hearings related to the seizure and disposition of animals treated cruelly. In Oregon, as in many other states, justices of the peace are also authorized to perform marriage ceremonies.