Clerk Magistrate hearings are sometimes also referred to as “show-cause” hearings. A Magistrate’s hearing is another manner in which an individual in Massachusetts can be charged with a crime. Magistrate’s hearings can take place after an arrest has occurred or not but is more common in instances where there has been no formal arrest. Routinely a Magistrate’s hearing is requested by a police officer who believes a crime has been committed but did not witness the crime first h