1974                                        EXECUTIVE ORDERS

for each of the eight judicial circuits of this State. The purpose of the Commissions
shall be to assist the Governor in carrying out his desire and intent to appoint to
judicial offices on the trial courts only those members of the bar who are, by virtue
of their learning, experience, character and temperament, best fitted therefor.

Each Commission shall be composed of eleven members, of whom five shall be
from the general public appointed by the Governor, five shall be lawyers to be
elected by the members of the bar in an election conducted by the Administrative
Office of the Courts pursuant to rules governing such election promulgated by the
Court of Appeals of Maryland, and a Chairman who shall be appointed by the
Governor.

The five members appointed by the Governor from the general public to each
Commission on Trial Court Judicial Selection, shall be residents and registered
voters in the judicial circuit covered by that Commission to which they are
appointed. Of the five members appointed by the Governor from the general public
to a Commission for any judicial circuit containing more than one county, at least
one shall be a resident and registered voter in each county within the judicial
circuit. None of the members to the eight commissions appointed by the Governor
from the general public shall be lawyers or elected state officials or full-time state
employees.

The five lawyers elected by the members of the bar to each Commission shall
have such residency and other qualifications as prescribed in rules promulgated by
the Court of Appeals of Maryland.

The Chairman of each Commission shall be a resident and registered voter in
the judicial circuit covered by that Commission to which he is appointed, shall not
be an elected state official or a full-time state employee, and may be either a
lawyer or a layman.

The initial terms of the Chairman and the five lay members appointed by the
Governor to each Commission shall expire with the expiration of the present
gubernatorial term in January 1971, and their successors shall serve for terms of
four years coexistent with the term of the Governor. The initial terms of the five
lawyers elected by the members of the bar to each Commission shall expire with
the expiration of the next gubernatorial term in January 1975, and their successors
shall serve for terms of four years coexistent with the term of the Governor. If a
vacancy occurs during a term among any of the positions filled by gubernatorial
appointees, the Governor shall appoint a person having the same qualifications as
the initial appointee to serve for the balance of the term. Vacancies during a term
among the positions filled by lawyers elected by members of the bar, shall be filled
as prescribed by rules promulgated by the Court of Appeals of Maryland. No
member of the eight Commissions shall be eligible for appointment to fill any
vacancy in judicial office on any trial court during the term for which he shall have
been chosen.

The Commissions shall suggest to the Governor appointees for vacant judicial
offices to be filled by the Governor on the Circuit Courts, the Supreme Bench of
Baltimore City, the District Court if and when such court is established, and,
pending establishment of the District Court, the People's Court of Baltimore City,
the Municipal Court of Baltimore City, and the People's Courts of Prince George's
and Wicomico Counties. Whenever there is a vacancy in a judicial office on one of
the aforementioned courts, the Commission for the judicial circuit embracing the
geographical area from which the vacancy must be filled, upon the call of the
Governor, shall meet to consider and pass upon the qualifications of proposed
nominees. The Commission shall seek, receive and review recommendations and
information concerning the qualifications of proposed nominees for the vacancy.