All 4 Uses of

magistrate
in
The House of the Seven Gables

But the Puritan soldier and magistrate was not a man to be turned aside from his well-considered scheme, either by dread of the wizard's ghost, or by flimsy sentimentalities of any kind, however specious.†
Chpt 1

magistrate = judicial official

Under this arched doorway, scraping their feet on the unworn threshold, now trod the clergymen, the elders, the magistrates, the deacons, and whatever of aristocracy there was in town or county.†
Chpt 1 *

magistrates = judges or civil authorities who conduct a court

We have all heard of King Log; but, in these jostling times, one of that royal kindred will hardly win the race for an elective chief-magistracy.†
Chpt 18

magistracy = judiciary

is creeping over the bridge of his nose, towards the would-be chief-magistrate's wide-open eyes!†
Chpt 18

magistrate = judicial official

Definition:

a judge or judicial official

The exact meaning of magistrate varies widely depending upon the context. For example:

in the U.S. federal court: assists district court judges by handling minor offenses or administrative tasks such as preliminary hearings (often referred to as a magistrate judge rather than just a magistrate)
in some U.S. states: a judge in the state court
in France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and other civil law countries: a sitting magistrate is a judge and a standing magistrate is a prosecutor
in England: may be a volunteer without formal legal training who performs a judicial role with regard to minor matters
in ancient Rome: a powerful officer with both judicial and executive power