Each circuit has a chief judge who has authority to command all judges in his circuit, from magistrates hearing small claims cases in the county courts to judges presiding over capital murder cases in the circuit court. The chief judge of the circuit answers only to the justices of the state supreme court. The term comes from the days when judges rode horseback from one county to the next along a continuous route called the circuit, hearing disputes that exceeded the jurisdiction of the local county courts. A body of jurisprudence evolved over centuries from the common sense and persistence of people who refused to be ruled by the power of pride. The principles of common law are embodied in maxims that express, perhaps better than constitutions, the will of the people toward the exercise of government power and the importance of keeping that power in check.
Many people are confused about common law, failing to realize it is constantly subject to change.
Where a principle of common law is found violative of the maxims, the principle must be abandoned. This takes place when the people, acting through duly elected or appointed representatives, amend and re-codify the legal limits of acceptable public behavior through duly enacted statutory or constitutional change. To the extent amendment is carried out in accordance with due process and the rule of law, the rule of statutes and constitutions supercede common law and are an expression of the will of the people. For those who object that the common law should forever control, Juris dictionary replies it is our shared duty as citizens of free republics to teach the maxims to our neighbors and our children so our leaders and the people themselves will have better guidance. Competence See competent .