824/Maryland Manual
confirmation of appointees of the Governor shall
be public, and no hearings, deliberations or de-
bate thereon shall be conducted by the Senate or
any committee or subcommittee thereof in secret
or executive session. Confirmation by the Senate
shall be made upon a ma)ority vote of all
members of the Senate. A judge appointed by the
Governor may take office upon qualification and
before confirmation by the Senate, but shall cease
to hold office at the close of the regular annual
session of the General Assembly next following
his appointment or during which he shall have
been appointed by the Governor, if the Senate
shall not have confirmed his appointment before
then. Each judge appointed by the Governor and
confirmed by the Senate shall hold the office for a
term of ten years or until he shall have attained
the age of seventy years whichever may first oc-
cur. If the ten year term of a judge shall expire
before that judge shall have attained the age of
seventy years, that judge shall be reappointed by
the Governor, with the Senate's consent, for an-
other ten year term or until he shall have attained
the age of seventy years, whichever may first oc-
cur. To the extent inconsistent herewith, the
provisions of Section 3 and 5 of this Article shall
not apply to judges of the District Court.
SEC. 41E. The Chief Judge of the Court of
Appeals shall designate one judge of the District
Court as Chief Judge of that Court, to serve as
Chief Judge at his pleasure. The Chief Judge of
the District Court may assign administrative
duties to other judges of the District Court and
shall perform such other duties in the administra-
tion of the District Court as may be prescribed
by rule or by law.
SEC. 41F. The Chief Judge of the District
Court shall appoint, to serve at his pleasure, a
Chief Clerk of that Court. He shall also appoint,
to serve at his pleasure, and upon the recommen-
dation of the administrative judge of the district,
a chief administrative clerk for each district. The
chief clerk shall perform such duties in the ad-
ministration of the District Court as may be
assigned him by the chief judge or as may be pre-
scribed by rule or by law. Each chief administra-
tive clerk shall perform such duties in the admin-
istration of the District Court as may be assigned
him by the administrative judge of his district or
as may be prescribed by rule of law. There shall
be in each County a clerk of the District Court
whose appointment, term, and compensation
shall be prescribed by law. The Chief Judge of
the District Court, upon recommendation of the
respective administrative judges, shall appoint
such deputy clerks, constables, and other officers
of the District Court as may be necessary. It shall

Article IV
be the duty of the General Assembly to prescribe
by law a fixed compensation for all such officers.
SEC. 41G. There shall be district court
commissioners in the number and with the
qualifications and compensation prescribed by
law. Commissioners in a district shall be
appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Ad-
ministrative Judge of the district, subject to the
approval of the Chief Judge of the District Court.
Commissioners may exercise power only with re-
spect to warrants of arrest, or bail or collateral or
other terms of pre-trial release pending hearing,
or incarceration pending hearing, and then only
as prescribed by law or by rule.
SEC. 41H. The salary of a judge of the Dis-
trict Court shall not be reduced during his con-
tinuance in office.
SEC. 41-1.'" For the purpose of implement-
ing the amendments to Articles IV, XV and
XVII of this Constitution, establishing the Dis-
trict Court, the following provisions shall gov-
ern.
(a) The provisions of Section 41D of this Arti-
cle shall govern initial vacancies in the office of
judge of the District Court. Each full-time judge
of the People's Court of Baltimore City, the Mu-
nicipal Court of Baltimore City, and of the Peo-
ple's Courts of Anne Arundel, Montgomery,
Prince George's, Wicomico Counties and
Baltimore County who is in office on the effective
date of these amendments shall continue in office
as a judge of the District Court in his district and
county of residence (or in Baltimore City) for the
remainder of the term for which he was elected or
appointed, and if his term expires prior to Janu-
ary 1, 1971, such judge shall be re-appointed by
the Governor, if the Senate consents, in accor-
dance with the provisions of Section 41D of this
Article, subject to the Provisions of the Constitu-
tion respecting age, removal and retirement; pro-
vided that the term of any such judge of a Peo-
ple's Court who would be ineligible for
appointment as a judge of the District Court un-
der this Article shall expire on the effective date
of these amendments. "Thereafter, retention of any
judge who is retained in office pursuant to the
preceding provisions of this subsection shall be
pursuant to Section 41D of this Article. No Peo-
ple's Court judge, judge of the Housing Court of
Baltimore County, or Justice of the Peace shall be
appointed or elected or exercise any power or ju-
risdiction.
"' Thus amended by Chapter 681, Acts of 1977, ratified No-
vember 7,1978.