§ 5-3-307 — Powers generally

(a) Each district court commissioner shall have the powers
in respect to every suit or proceeding pending in the district
court of the county for which he was appointed, as follows:
(i) If no judge qualified to hear or act in the
proceeding or action is present in the county for which such
commissioner was appointed, to make any order which a judge of
the district court is authorized by law to make in chambers and
to hear and determine cases of mental illness or mental
incompetency, and to hold juvenile detention or shelter care
hearings;
(ii) To make any order which a judge of the district
court is authorized by law to make in chambers, upon the written
statement of such judge, filed with the papers, that he is
disqualified in such case;
(iii) To administer oaths;
(iv) To hear, try and determine all issues whenever
an application shall have been made for a change of judge;
(v) To take evidence and make findings, and report
the same to the district court;
(vi) To take depositions;
(vii) To punish persons for contempts committed
during hearings had before him;
(viii) To issue and enforce process for the
attendance of witnesses and production of evidence in all lawful
hearings before him, in the same manner and with like force as
the court might do if in session.