Year: 1877

seven Of article four, and sections twelve and


thirteen Of article eleven, be repealed;


ARTICLE "


SEC. 1. The Judicial power os the state shall be
/ vested in a Supreme Court. in District Courts.
Courts Of Common Pleas, Justices of the Peucc
[ and such other Courts inferior TO the Supreme


Court in one or more counties, as the General As
sembly may from time 10 time establish. The 6u-
periOr Courts Of Cincinnati and Montgomery Coun-


ties, shall continue until otherwise provided by
law.


SEC. 8. The Court Of Common Pleas SHAH 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, Sun
| days and holidays excepted Zach county now
| existing or hereafter formed, shall constitute a
! separate Common Pleas District and each District
shall be known by the name of.the county compris-
| ing the District


| SEC. 5. Each District Court shall consist Of one
/ Judge who shall be elected by the voters Of the
/ district. There shall be elected one or more
Judges in each district, and there shall be held an
nuallys not less than three sessions in each county
/ in the State. The legislature shall divide the
/ State into District Court districts, not exceed
I ing twenty in number. and shall assign to each
Common Pleas and District Court district, the
number Of Judges 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 practicable A
concurrence Of three-dfths only of all the members
elected to both Houses. shall be required for the
first aDDOrtiOnment. or to determine the uumberOF
Judges required in each District Court and Com
mon Pleas district, under this amendment but no
change shall thereafter be made without the con-
currence Of twO-thirds of all the members elected
to both Houses.


Sections twelve and thirteen Of article eleven are
hereby repealed the repeal to take effect when the
Legislature makes the superintendent mentioned
in this section.


SEC. 6. The District Court shall have ike origin
81 jurisdiction with the Supreme Court and such
appellate or other jurisdiction may be provided


SEC. 8. The General Assembly may provide by
law for Judge pro tsnDOTs to hold any court when
the Judge thereof is disqualified by sickness or
otherwise to hold said court.


SEC. y. The Judges Of the districts and Of the
Courts Of Common Pleas, shall, while in Office re-
side in the district ia which they are elected, and
their term OF Office shall be five years but the Leg
islature may provide by law that any Judge of the
Common Pleas Court shall hold that court in any
other Common Pleas district; aud that any Judge
Of the District Court shall hold that court in any
other district 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 he
held at the time in the district. and two
or more District Courts may be held at the same
time in a district of that court.


SEC IA. The Judges Of the Supreme Court, the
District Courts, and Of the Court Of Common
Pleas shall, at stated times, receive for their ser
vices such compensation as may be provided by
law, which shall not be increased or diminished
during their term Of Office, but they shall receive
no fees or perqusites, nor hold any Ofcs Of trust
profit under the authority Of any State OF Of the



elective office, except Judicial Office, under the
authority Of this State given by the General Assem-
bly,, or the people, shall be void


SEC. Is. The General Assembly may increase or
diminish the number Of Judges of the Supreme
Court, the number of the districts, Of the District
Courts, the number Of Judges in any Common
Pleas or District Court district, change any Dis
triCt Court district establish other COURTS abolish
the Probate Court in any county, or any Osher
Court established by law, whenever twO-thirds Of
the members elected to each House shall concur
therein huf aTnH enanun shall warafe the CfIcg
of any Judge. The Court Of Common Pleas pro
vided for in this amendment shall be the successor
of the present Probate Courts and Courts Of Com
mon Pleas in each county. The District Courts
herein provided for, shall be the successors Of the
present District Court: and al the books, records,
papers and business, in or appertaining TO said
Courts shall be transferred TO their Successors IN
der this amendment; and the existing Probate Court
is hereby abolished in each county at the ClOse Of
the term for which the Judge thereof was elected
hrst occurring after the election Of common FleaB
Judges under this amendment, and the Clerks In
the Courts Of Common Pleas and District Courts,
shall be the clerks in the courts herein provided IN
til their successors are elected and qualified; but
the Supreme Court shall appoint its own reporter.


SEC. 16. There shall be elected in each county by
the electors thereof, one Clerk tor tne Court or
Common Pleas, who shall hold his ofnce for the
term of three years, and until his successor shan
be elected and qualified. lie shall, by virtue OF his
office be clerk Of all other courts OF record held
therein, but the General Assembly may provide, by
law, for the election of clerk with Ike term OF
office for each OF any other courts OF record or
tor the appointment BY the supreme Court OF a
Clerk for that Court.


SEC. Is. The several Judges Of the supreme
Court, of the District and Common Pleas ana OF
such other courts es may be created, shall respect
lively have and exercise such power and lurisdlc-
tiUn at chambers or otherwise, as may be directed
by law,


The term Of Office Of all Judges Of Common Pleas
and District COurts provided f0f in this amend
meut, shall commence on the first Monday in Jan
uary next after the making Of the appOruOument
provided for in section i've Of article four and the
term of office of all Judges Of the Courts Of Com
mon Pleas, in Office who were not elected as Judg-
es under this amendment, shall then expire.


No change shall be made by this amendment in
the Supreme Court OF i'm the Office or term Of any
Judge thereof. The first election Of Judges OF
Common Pleas and District Courts under this
amendment, shall be held at the general election
for election Of State officers next after the making
of said appOrtOnment for District Court districts
by the Legislature, but nothing in this amendment
shall be construed to change or alter the Constitu-
tiOn or laws until said appCrtiOnmeut- Section
seven OF Article four is hereby repealed, and sec
tion twenty-five shall be numbered section seven.


FORM OF BALLOT.