Luke Hagelberg has been selected to fill the magistrate judge vacancy that is being created by Lori Meulenberg's pending retirement.

Hagelberg is the chief public defender in Bonner County and has been licensed to practice law in the state since 2013.

News of Hagelberg's appointment to fill the pending vacancy was announced by the Magistrate Commission of the First Judicial District on Friday. Meulenberg, who has been a judge in Bonner County since March 2013, announced in February that she would retire in July after 11 years of service. 

Hagelberg was one of four finalists selected for the post, with the others being Amy Bistline, a Bonner County staff attorney; Catherine Enright, a Bonner County deputy public defender; and Donald Terry, a Bonner County deputy public defender.

Interviews were held Friday, May 31.

Magistrate judges preside over a wide range of cases, having the jurisdiction to hear everything from infractions and misdemeanors to felony preliminary hearings, probates, guardianships, and conservatorships. They also preside over divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights cases, juvenile cases, and civil cases in which the amount does not exceed $10,000.

Magistrate duties include issuing various types of processes, such as arrest warrants, summonses, search warrants, emergency protective orders, emergency custody orders, and certain civil warrants.

Magistrates also conduct bail hearings in instances in which an individual is arrested to determine under what conditions the arrestee should be released from custody prior to trial. Magistrates provide services on an around-the-clock basis, conducting hearings in person or through the use of videoconferencing systems.

Like Meulenberg, Hagelberg's resident chambers will be in Bonner County.