Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-09-06
House Joint Resolution
Relative to an A Amendment of Arti-
cles Four and Eleven of the Con-
stitutiOn, ReOrganizing the Judi
ciary of the State of Ohio.

Be it resolued By the General Assembly OF
the State of Ohio (three-fifths of all the men,
bers elected to each house concurring there
in), That proposition to amend the Consti.
tuition of the State of Ohio, be submitted to
tie electors of the State, on the second Tues.
day of October, A d. 1877, as follows, to-wit:
That sections, one, three, fUe, sic, eight,
taoelUe, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and etghteen
of article four be amended so as to read as
follows, and section seven, Of article four, and
sections twelve and thirteen of article eleven,
be repealed:
ARTICLE ".
SEC. 1. The Judicial power of the State
shall be vested in Supreme Court, in District
Courts, Courts of Common Pleas, Justices oil
the Peace and such other Courts inferior to
the supreme Court, in one or more counties
as he General Assembly may from time to
time establish. The Superior Courts of Gin.
cinnati and Montgomery county, shall con-
inue 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 Court
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 separate Common Pleas
Dis rict, and each District shall be known by
the name of the county composing the Dis.
trict.
SEC. s. Each District Court shall consist o
one Judge, who shall be elected by the voters
of the district. There shall be elected one OIL
moi Judges in each district, and there shall
be held annually, not less than three session.
in each county in the State. The Legislature
shall divide the State into District Court dis
tricts, not exceeding twenty in number, and
shall assign to each Common Pleas and Dis
trict Court district, the number of Judges re-
quired 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 practicable A
concurrence of three-ffths only of all the mem.
bers elected to both Houses, shall be required
| for the first appOrtionment. or TO determine
| the number of Judges required in each Dis.
trict Court and Common Pleas District. I'm 'e,
| this amendment, but no change shall thereaf-
ter be made without the concurrence of two
thirds of all the members elected to both
Houses. tt
Sections twelve and thirteen of article eleven
are hereby repealed; the repeal TO take etfec,
when the Legislature makes the apporiion-
| ment mentioned in this section.
SEC. q. The District Court shall have like
| original jurisdiction with the Supreme Court,
and such appellate or other jurisdiction as may
be provided by law.
SEC g. The General Assembly may provide
court when the Judge thereof is disqualified
by sickness or otherwise to hold said court.
SEC. II. The Judges of the dist riots andoi
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 auy Judge of the Common Pleas Court
shall hold that Court in any other Conn. .on
Pleas district; and that any Judge ofthe Dis
trict Court shall hold that court In any other
di strict for that court than the one in which
he resides; and Judges of the Common Pleas
may temporarily exchange districts with each
other; and two or more Common Pleas Courts
may be held at the same time in the same dis
trict, and two or more District Courts may be
hello at the same time in a district OF that
court.
SEC IA. The Judges of the Supreme .Jourt
the District Courts, and of the Courts OF Com
mon Pleas shall, at stated times, receive for
their services such compensation as NAV be
provided by law, which shall not be increased
or diminished during their term of office, but
they shall receive No fees or perquisites, nor
hold any other office of trust or profit uncer
the authority of any State, or OF the United
States. All votes for iither of them for any
elective office, except judicial Office under
the authority of this State given by the Gen.
eral Assembly, or the people, shall be void.
SEC. 10. The General Assembly may in
crease or diminish the plumber of the Judges
Of the Supreme Court, the number of the dis.
tricts, of the District Courts, the number of
Judges in any Common Pleas or District Court
district, change any District Court district,
establish other courts, abolish the Probate
Court in any county, or any other Court es-
tablished by law, whenever two.thirds of the
members elected to each House shall concur
therein but no such change shall vacate the
Office Of any Judge. The Court of Common
Pleas provided for in this amendment shall be
the successor of the present Probate Court and
Courts Of Common Pleas in each countr, The
District Courts herein provided for, shall be
the successors of the present District Courts:
and all the books, records, papers and busi,
ness. In or appertainlng to said Courts, shall
be transferred 10 their successors under this
the existing Probate Court is |
hereby abolished in each county at the close
Of the term for which the Judge thereof was
elected, first occurring after the election Of |
Common Pleas Judgesunder this amendment.
snd the Clerksin the Courts Of Common Pleas
and District Courts, shall be the clerks in the |
courts herein provided until their successors |
ire elected and qualified; but the Supreme
Court shall appoint its own reporter.
SIC. 49, There shall he elected In each coun-
y by the electors thereof, one Clerk of the
Jolrt OF Common Pleas, who shall hold his
,ffice for the term Of three years, and until his
successor shall be elected and qualified. He