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Sec. Art

4. V.

Abolition of City Courts.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Until otherwise directed by law, the courts of Common Pleas shall continue as at present established, except as herein changed; not more than four counties, shall at any time, be included in one judicial district organized for said courts. 8. V.

The said courts in the counties of Philadelphia and Allegheny, respectively, shall, from time to time, in turn detail one or more of their judges to hold the courts of Oyer and Terminer and the courts of Quarter Sessions of the Peace of said counties, in such manner as may be directed by law.

9. V.

Judges of the courts of Common Pleas learned in the law shall be judges of the courts of Oyer and Terminer, Quarter Sessions of the Peace and general jail delivery, and of the Orphans' Court, and within their respective districts shall be justices of the peace as to criminal matters.

10. V.

The judges of the Courts of Common Pleas, within their respective counties, shall have power to issue writs of certiorari to justices of the peace and other inferior courts not of record, and to cause their proceedings to be brought before them, and right and justice to be done. 12. V.

In Philadelphia there shall be established, for each thirty thousand inhabitants, one court, not of record, of police and civil causes, with jurisdiction not exceeding one hundred dollars; such courts shall be held by magistrates whose term of office shall be five years, and

Sec. Art

they shall be elected on general ticket by the qualified voters at large; and in the election of the said magistrates no voter shall vote for more than two-thirds of the number of persons to be elected when more than one are to be chosen; they shall be compensated only by fixed salaries, to be paid by said county; and shall exercise such jurisdiction, civil and criminal, except as herein provided, as is now exercised by aldermen, subject to such changes, not involving an increase of civil jurisdiction or conferring political duties, as may be made by law. In Philadelphia the office of alderman is abolished.

15. V.

All judges required to be learned in the law, except the judges of the Supreme Court, shall be elected by the qualified electors of the respective districts over which they are to preside, and shall hold their offices for the period of ten years, if they shall so long behave themselves well; but for any reasonable cause, which shall not be sufficient ground for impeachment, the Governor may remove any of of them on the address of twothirds of each house of the General Assembly.

20. V.

The several Courts of Common Pleas, besides the powers herein conferred, shall have and exercise within their respective districts, subject to such changes as may be made by law, such chancery powers as are now vested by law in the several Courts of Common Pleas of this commonwealth, or as may hereafter be conferred upon them by law.

16. VIII.

The Courts of the Common

Abolition of City Courts.

Sec. Art. Pleas of the several counties of the commonwealth shall have power, within their respective jurisdictions, to appoint overseers of election to supervise the proceedings of election officers and to make report to the court as may be required; such appointments to be made for any district in a city or county upon petition of five citizens, lawful voters of such election district, setting forth that such appointment is a reasonable precaution to secure the purity and fairness of elections; overseers shall be two in number for an election district, shall be residents therein, and shall be persons qualified to serve upon election boards, and in each case members of different political parties; whenever a member of an election board shall differ in opinion the overseers, if they shall be agreed thereon, shall decide the question of difference; in appointing overseers of election all the law judges of the proper court, able to act at the time, shall concur in the appointments made.

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SOUTH DAKOTA.

26. V. The judges of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and County Courts shall be chosen at the first election held under the provisions of this Constitution, and thereafter as provided by law, and the Legislature may provide for the election of such officers on a different day from that on which an election is held for any other purpose, and may for for the purpose of making such provision, extend or abridge the term of office for any of such judges then holding, but not in any case more than six months. The term of office of all judges of Circuit Courts, elected in the several judicial circuits throughout the State, shall expire on the same day.

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Abolition of City Courts.

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The judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State at large at the general State election at the time and places at which State officers are elected, unless some other time be provided by the Legislature. The first election of judges of the Supreme Court shall be at the election which shall be held upon the adoption of this Constitution, and the judges elected thereat shall be classified by lot, so that two shall hold their office for the term of three years, two for the term of five years, and one for the term of seven years. The lot shall be drawn by the judges who shall for that purpose assemble at the seat of government, and they shall cause the result thereof to be certified to the Secretary of State, and filed in his office. The judge having the shortest term to serve, not holding his office by appointment or electon to fill a vacancy, shall be the chief justice, and

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shall preside at all sessions of the Supreme Court, and in case there shall be two judges having in like manner the same short term, the other judges of the Supreme Court shall determine which of them shall be chief justice. In case of the absence of the chief justice, the judge having in like manner the shortest or next shortest term to serve shall preside. After the first election the terms of judges elected shall be six years from and after the second Monday in January succeeding their election. If a vacancy occur in the office of a judge of the Supreme Court the Governor shall appoint a person to hold the office until the election and qualification of a judge to fill the vacancy, which election shall take place at the next succeeding general election, and the judge so elected shall hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term. The term of office of the judges of the Supreme Court first elected shall commence as soon as the State shall have been admitted into the Union, and continue for the term herein provided, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The sessions of the Supreme Court shall be held at the seat of government until otherwise provided by law.

5. IV.

There shall be in each of the organized counties of this State a Superior Court for which at least one judge shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county at the general State election: Provided, that until otherwise directed by the Legislature, one judge only shall be elected for the counties of Spokane and Stevens; one judge for the coun

Bec. Art.

Abolition of City Courts.

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Adams; one judge for the counties of Walla Walla and Franklin; one judge for the counties of Columbia, Garfield and Asotin; one judge for the counties of Kittitas, Yakima and Klickitat; one judge for the counties of Clarke, Skamania, Pacific, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum; one judge for the counties of Thurston, Chehalis, Mason and Lewis; one judge for the county of Pierce; one judge for the county of King; one judge for the counties of Jefferson, Island, Kitsap, San Juan and Clallam; and one judge for the counties of Whatcom. Skagit and Snohomish. In any county where there shall be more than one superior judge, there may be as many sessions of the Superior Court at the same time as there are judges thereof, and whenever the Governor shall direct a superior judge to hold court in any other than that for which he has been elected, there may be as many sessions of the Superior Court in said county at the same time as there are judges therein or assigned to duty therein by the Governor, and the business of the court shall be so distributed and assigned by law, or, in the absence of legislation therefor, by such rules and orders of court, as shall best promote and secure the convenient and expeditious transaction thereof. The judgments, decrees, orders and proceedings of any session of the Superior Court held by any one or more of the judges of such court shall be equally effectual as if all the judges of said court presided at such session. The first superior judges elected under this Constitution shall hold

their offices for the period of

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three years, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified, and thereafter the term of office of all superior judges in this State shall be for four years from the second Monday in January next succeeding their election, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The first election of judges of the Superior Court shall be at the election held for the adoption of this Constitution. If a vacancy occurs in the office of judge of the Superior Court, the Governor shall appoint a person to hold the office until the election and qualification of a judge to fill the vacancy, which election shall be at the next succeeding general election, and the judge so elected shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term.

6. IV.

The Superior Court shall have original jurisdiction in all cases in equity, and in all cases at law which involve the title or possession of real property, or the legality of any tax, impost, assessment, toll or municipal fine, and in all other cases in which the demand, or the value of the property in controversy, amounts to one hundred dollars, and in all criminal cases amounting to felony, and in all cases of misdemeanor not otherwise provided for by law; of actions of forcible entry and detainer; of proceedings in insolvency; of actions to prevent or abate a nuisance; of all matters of probate, of divorce, and for annulment of marriage; and for such special cases and proceedings as are not otherwise provided for. The Superior Court shall also have original jurisdiction in all cases and of all proceedings in which jurisdiction shall not have been by law

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Abolition of City Courts.

vested exclusively in some other court; and said court shall have the power of naturalization, and to issue papers therefor. They shall have such appellate jurisdiction in cases arising in jus tice's and other inferior courts in their respective counties as may be prescribed by law. They shall be always open except on non-judicial days, and their process shall extend to all parts of the State. Said courts and their judges shall have power to issue writs of mandamus, quo warranto, review, certiorari, prohibition and writs of habeas corpus, on petition by or on behalf of any person in actual custody in their respective counties. Injunctions and writs of prohibition and of habeas corpus may be issued and served on legal holidays and non-judicial days.

7. IV.

The judge of any Superior Court may hold a Superior Court in any county at the request of the judge of the Superior Court thereof, and upon the request of the Governor it shall be his duty to do so. A case in the Superior Court may be tried by a judge pro tempore, who must be a member of the bar agreed upon in writing by the parties

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litigant, or their attorneys of record, approved by the court, and sworn to try the case.

20. IV.

Every case submitted to a judge of the Superior Court for his decision shall be decided by him within ninety days from the submision thereof: Provided, that if within said period of ninety days a rehearing shall have been ordered, then the period within which he is to decide shall commence at the time the cause is submitted upon such a rehearing.

23. IV.

There may be appointed in each county, by the judge of the Superior Court having jurisdiction therein, one or more court commissioners, not exceeding three in number, who shall have authority to perform like duties as a judge of the Superior Court at chambers, subject to revision by such judge, to take depositions and to perform such other business connected with the administration of justice as may be prescribed by law.

24. IV.

The judges of the Superior Court shall, from time to time, establish uniform rules for the government of the Superior Courts.

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