The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-01-25

remaiy ~ At present until otherwise pro
ylded by law
cnfMfsAL DISTRICT oounrs NAY M fsrAh'
tfsnEp.
Sec. 49,. Tho criminal district court of
Galveston and Harris counties shall CON
tinue with the Jurisdiction, organization
aud dist riot now existing until otherwise
provided by law; and the legislature may
establish such other courts embracing one
or more counties, with such criminal Iuris
dlction ~ may be provided by law,and may
tax suo' antics with the expense thereof.
The .iaries Of the judges Of such courts
shall be the same as those OF the district
judges.
GRAND JURIEs.
Sec. =. Grand juries In the district and
criminal courts shall be composed OF thir.
teen men, who shall be selected in such
mode as shall be prescribed by law, and
when duly organized shall retain their or
ganization until their successors shall be
duly organized. Should any member Of
the grand jury die, remove from the coun.
ty or from other cause be unable TO act, the
Judge of the district court may fill the va
cancy by the selection Of some competent
person to serve as grand juror. Nine
members of a grand jury shall be quorum
to transact business and present bills. The
district court or the judge thereof may, at
any time during the term or in vacation,
convene the grand jury for the transaction
of business,
COUNTY COURTS.
Sec. -. There shall be established in
each county in this state county court,
which shall be court OF record: and there
shall be elected in each county, by the
qualified voters thereof, county judge,
who shall be a qualified voter, shall have
arrived at the age of % years, and shall
have been q practicing lawyer in this state,
or judge of court of record, or such
Judge and lawyer together at least four
years, and shall hold his office for two
| years. He shall receive for his services
such compensation as may be prescribed
by law
| COUNTY CoURT-JURIsDIcTIoN OF.
Sec. =. The county court shall have ex-
elusive original jurisdiction of all INSIDE
meanors OF which exclusive Jurisdiction is
not given TO the justices courts; provided.
that misdemeanors involving official mis-
conduct shall be tried by the district courts.
The county court shall also have exclusive
original jurisdiction in civil cases where
! the matter IN contr Oversy shall exceed in
value 800 and shall not exceed $500 ex-
elusive of interest, but shall not have juris-
diction of suits in behalf of the state to re-
cover penalties, forte lures and escheats
of suits to recover damages for SANDER or
defamation OF character, OF suits for d.
vorce or of suits for the trial of title of land
| or 1Or UIc VI thereon,
| provided, that in case of liens acquired
| by the levy OF process issued out of such
county court, such court may foreclose the
same by its judgement in the cause.
COUNTY CoURT-APPELLATE JURIS DICTION.
Sec. -. The county court shall have APP
pellate jurisdiction in cases civil and Grim.
inal OF which the justices courts have
original jurisdiction, but in civil cases
with such limitations as the Legislature,
may prescribe.
COUNTY COURT SHALL HAVE PROBATE JURIs-
DICTIoN.
Sec. -. The county court shall also have
general jurisdiction in all matters of pro-
bate, including the administration and set
Element of estates, the appointment of
guardians of minors, idiots, lunatics, per.
sons non compus mentis and common
drunkards and the superintendent Of
minors.
COUNTY CoERT-PowER TO ISSUE wRITs.
Sec. -. The county courts and the judges
thereof shall have the power to issue the
writ of habeas corpus in cases where the
offense charged is within the jurisdiction of
said courts or of the Jurisdiction of other in
ferior courts, and all such other writs as
may be necessary to enforce their jurisdic-
ton, both civil and criminal.
COUNTY CoURTs-TERMs OF.
Sec. -. the county court shall hold at
least four terms for both civil and criminal
business annually, as may be provided by
the legislature or commissioners court of
the county under authority of law and such
other terms each year as may be fixed by
the commissioners court; provided, the
commissioners court Of any county having
fixed the times and number of terms of the
county court shall not cnange the same until
the expiration OF one year Said court may
dispose of probate business either in term
time or vacation under such regulations as
may be prescribed by law. Prosecutions
may be commenced in said court in such a
manner as is or may be provided by law,
and jury therein shall consist of six
men. Until otherwise provided the terms
OF the county court shall be he'd on the
first Mondays in February, May, August
a. d November, and may continue in session
three weeks.
COUNTY CLERK.
Sec. =. There shall be elected for each
county by the qualified voters thereof, a
county clerk, anu he shall hold his office
for two years, who shall be clerk of the
county and commissioners courts and re-
corder of the county, and whose duties, fee $
and perquisites shall oe prescribed by law,
and vacancy in whose office shall be filled
oy the county court until the next general
election. In counties having a population
less than eight thousand there shall be
elected but one clerk, who shall perform
the duties of both district and county
clerk.
LEGISLATURES MAY TAKE AWAY JURISDICTION
OF COUNTY COURT.
Sec. =. The legislature shall have power,
by local or general law, to confer upon the
district court of any county Jurisdiction in
any or ali matters of which jurisdiction Is
given to the county court; and when the
Jurisdiction of the district court in any
county is enlarged Che Legislature shall con-
form the jurisdiction Of the other courts to
such change; and wnere the jurisdiction of
the county court Is wholly tax. n away such
county court shall be abolished.
COUNTY coURT-No JURISDICTION IN coUS-
TIES HAVING A CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT
Sec. :. Where in any county there shall
be established criminal district court, the
county court shall not have criminal juris- |
diction, unless expressly conferred by Law,
and in such counties appeals from justices |
courts and from other inferior courts and |
tribunals in criminal cases shall be to the |
criminal district court, under such regula- |
lions as may be prescribed by law, and an |
appeal hail be from such district courts as
10 other cases.
COUNTIES TO BIZ DIVIDED INTO JUSTICES PRE-
cIEcTs-JUsTIcEs AND coNsTABLEs ELECTED. /
Sec. =. IL shall be the duty Of the CON-
missioners court OF each organized county
to divide the same into a convenient num-
Der Of justices precincts, not less than four
nor more than eight, which may be changed /
from time TO time. In each Of such pre-
cincts there shall be elected by the qualified
voters thereof one justice Of the peace and
one constable, each Of whom shall hold his
Office for two years.
JUSTICE cOCRTs-JURIsDIcTION, TRIMS, ETC.
Sec. -. The justices courts shall h-ve
Jurisdiction in criminal matters Of all cases
where the penalty or fine 10 be Imposed
may not exceed 800, and IN civil matters
Of all cases where the amount in cOntro-
versy IL 500 or less, exclusive OF interest,
81 which exclusive original jurisd -otiOn Is
rot given 10 the District or county courts
aud such other Jurisdiction civil and crimi
bal a. may be provided by Law. The,
hall bold their courts At Euch times and
places as may be provided BY the legisla-