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MARYLAND MANUAL. [ART. IV
ARTICLE IV.

JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT.
Part I : — General Provisions.

Courts.

SECTION \. The Judicial power of this State shall be
vested in a Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Orphans'
Courts, such Courts for the City of Baltimore as are
hereinafter provided for, and Justices of the Peace;
all said Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each
shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all

justices of the
Peace.

process issuing therefrom. The process and official
character of Justices of the Peace shall be authenticated
as hath heretofore been practised in this State, or may
hereafter be prescribed by Law.

Ex parte O'Neill 8 Md. 227. Shafer v. Mumma, 17 Md. 331.

Qualifications
of Judges.

Sec. 2. The Judges of all of the said Courts shall be
citizens of the State of Maryland, and qualified voters
under this Constitution, and shall have resided therein
not less than five years, and not less than six months
next preceding their election or appointment in the
judicial circuit, as the case may be, for which they may
be respectively elected or appointed. They shall be not
less than thirty years of age at the time of their elec-
tion or appointment, and shall be selected from those
who have been admitted to practice Law in this State,
and who are most distinguished for integrity, wisdom
and sound legal knowledge.

Holt v. Tennallytown, etc., R. Co., 81 Md. 219.

Election of
Judges.

Sec. 3. The Judges of the said several Courts shall be
elected in the Counties by the qualified voters in their
respective Judicial Circuits as hereinafter provided, at
the general election to be held on the Tuesday after the
first Monday in November next, and in the City of Bal-
timore, on the fourth Wednesday of October next. Each

Term of office.

of the said Judges shall hold his office for the term of
fifteen years from the time of his election, and until his
successor is elected and qualified, or until he shall have
attained the age of seventy years, whichever may first
happen, and be re-eligible thereto until he shall have at-
tained the age of seventy years, and not after; but in
case of any Judge who shall attain the age of seventy
years whilst in office, such Judge may be continued in
office by the General Assembly for such futher time as
they may think fit, not to exceed the term for which he