The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-09-07
HOUSE joint RESOLUTION,
Relative TO an amendment of
Articles Four and Eleven of
the Constitution, Reorganiz-
ing the Judiciary of the State
of Ohio.

BE IL TeS0lUed On the General Assembly
State Of Ohio (LhTee-fiiths of all the member
That a proposition to amend the ConstItU-
tion of the state of Ohio, be submitted to the
electors of tie State, on the second Tuesday
OF October, A. ID. 1877, as follows. to-wit:
That sections one, three, Jire, siL, eight tIOetJe
fourteen fifteen, sixteen and eighteen, OF article
four. be amended so as to read as follows, and
section seven, OF article tour, and sections
twelve and thirteen OF article eleven, be re-
ARTICLEIV.
SEC. L. The Judicial power of the state
shall be vested in a Supreme Court. ih Dis
trict Courts. Courts OF Common Pleas, jus
tees of the Peace and such other courts inc
rior to the Supreme Court. in one or more
counties. as the General Assembly may from
time to time establish. The Superior Courts
OF Cincinnati and Montgomery counties
shall continue until otherwise provided by
law.
SEC. 3. The Court OF Common Pleas shall
be holden by one Judge, who shall be elected
by the voters of the District, and Said Courl
shall be open at all times for the transaction
of business, Sundays and holidays excepted
Each county now existing or hereafter form
ed shall constitute a seperate Common Pleas
District, and each District shall be known by
the name of the county comprising the Dis
trict.
SEC. S. Each District Court shall consist ol
one Judge, who shall be elected by the voters
of the District. There shall be elected one OF
more Judges In each District, and there shall
be held annually, not less than three ses-
islature shall divide the State into District
Court districts, not exceeding twenty In
number, and shall assign to each Common
Pleas and District Court district, the numbt
ofJudges required to dispose of the business
therein. Each district shall be composed OF
compact territory, bounded by county lines,
and as nearly equal in population as pIaetlc,
able. A concurrence of three-tfths only of
ali the members elected to both Houses shall
be required for the first apportionment or TO
determine The number of Judges required in
eacn District Court and Common Peas DIS
trict under this amendment, but no change
shall thereafter be made without the concur
renee of two thirds of all the members elect
ed TO both Houses.
Sections twelve and thirteen OF article
eleven are hereby repealed; the repeal 10
take effect when the Legislature makes the
appoTtionmeD d mentioned in this section.
SEC. 8. The District Court shall have IKE
original Jurisdiction with the supreme
Court, and such appellate or other JuTisdIc-
ton as may be provide by law
SEC S. The General Assembly may pro
vide by law for n Judge pro teDip9re, TO hold
any court when the Judge hereof IL dlSquall.
fed by sickness or otherwise to Loln Si'ld
court
the Courts OF Common Pleas, shall, while in
office, reside in the district in which they
are elected, and their term of Office shall be
five years; but the Legislature may provide
By law that any Judge OF the Common Pleas
Court shall hold that court in any other
Common Pleas district; and that any Judge
of the District Court shall hold that court Ia
any other district for the court than the one
in which he resides; and Judges of the Com
mon Pleas may temporarily exchange Ills
tricts with each other; and two or more COM
mon Pleas Courts may be held at the same
time in the same district, and two or more
District Courts may be held at the same
time in a district of that court
SIC. IA. The Judges ofthe Supreme Z. urt,
the District Courts, and of the Court of Com
chQll at Stated times receive Tor
their services such &C. .npensatlon as may De
provided by law, which shall not be increa =
ed or diminished during their term OF Once.
but they shall receive no fees or perqulslties'
nor hold any other Office of trust or profit un-
der the authority of any State, or of The
United States. Af votes for either OF them
for any elective Office, exec pit judicial Office,
under the authority OF this State given Oy
the General Assembly, or the people, snail
be void.
SEC. Is. The General Assembly may in
crease or diminish the number Ofthe Judges
ofthe Supreme Court, the number Ofthe dis
tricts, of the District Courts. the bumbtr OF
Judges in any Common Pleas or District
Court district, change any District Court as
trict establish other courts, abolish the Pro
nate Court in any county or any other Court
established by Law, ,wheneye two-thirds ofthe
members elected TO each House shall concur
therein; but no such change snail Vacale lhe
Pleas provided for in this amendment shall
be the successor Of the present Probate Court
and Courts Of Common Pleas IL each county:
The District Courts herein provided for snail
be the successors OF the present Dlstrlct
Courts; and all the books. records, papers
and business, in or apperta1nlng To SAID
Courts shall be transferred TO their success
sors under this amendment; the eXisttrg
Probate Court Is hereby abolished IN each
county at the close of the term for which the
Judge thereof was elected, nrst occurring al
ter Inc election of Common Pleas Judges
under this amendment, and the Clerks in the
Courts Of Common Pleas and District Courts,
shall be the clerks in the In the courts herein
provided until their SUCCESSORS are elected
appoint its own reporter.
SEC. l6 There shall be elected in each
by the electors thereof, one C.erk OF
the Court of Common Pleas, who shall hold
nntil MS successor shall be elected and quail
fed He shall, by virtue OF his Office, be
clerk of all other courts OF re ord held thefe-
In. but toe General Assembly may pfn'ide,
term OF office, for each or any other OF the
courts of record, or for the appointment by
he Supreme Court OF Clerk for that Court
SEC. Is. The several Judges OF the supreme
Court. OF the District and Common Pleas,
and Of such other courts as may De Created
,halI respectively have and exercise such
power and Jurisdiction at chambers, or other.
wise. as may be directed by law.
The term OF office of all Judges Of Common
pleas and District Courts provided for In this |
shall commence on tne nrst
1fthe apportionment provided for in section |
i've OF article four. and the term Of office of
m Judges Of the Courts of Common Pleas. in |
,ffiee, who were not electeo as Judges unoef
No change shall be made by this amend
nent in the Supreme Court, or In the once |
1r term OF any Judge thereof: Tue nrSt elec.
-ion Of Judges Of Common Pleas and District |
-onrts nnder this amendment, shall be held !
N the general election for election OF State
1Sficers next after the making of said appor-
Iionmept for District Court districts py the
I.eeisIature, but nothing in this amendment
mall be construed to change or alter the
or laws until said apportion-
mert- Section seven Of Article four is here