Both Uses of

magistrate
in
Angela's Ashes

He gives his word till a ship comes to help him escape and he goes to the office of the English magistrate and says, I'm escaping, jumps on his horse and winds up in New York.†
Chpt 8

magistrate = judicial official

The magistrates in Coventry are losing their patience and if Malachy McCourt doesn't stop the bloody nonsense he'll be kicked out of the country entirely.†
Chpt 9 *

magistrates = judges or civil authorities who conduct a court

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