Article 80, § 19 — Transition Provisions, Tenure of Present Justices and Judges, and Jurisdiction of Present Courts

(A) Tenure of Present Justices and Judges. (1) Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Court of Appeals in office at the time this amendment takes effect shall continue in office until the end of the terms for which they were elected or appointed. (2) All Circuit, Chancery, and Circuit-Chancery Judges in office at the time this Amendment takes effect shall continue in office as Circuit Judges until the end of the terms for which they were elected or appointed; provided further, the respective jurisdictional responsibilities for matters legal, equitable or juvenile in nature as presently exercised by such Judges shall continue until changed pursuant to law. (3) Municipal Court Judges in office at the time this Amendment takes effect shall continue in office through December 31, 2004; provided, if a vacancy occurs in an office of a Municipal Judge, that vacancy shall be filled for a term which shall end December 31, 2004. (B) Jurisdiction of Present Courts. (1) The Jurisdiction conferred on Circuit Courts established by this Amendment includes all matters previously cognizable by Circuit, Chancery, Probate and Juvenile Courts including those matters repealed by Section 22 of this Amendment. The geographic circuits and subject matter divisions of these courts existing at the time this Amendment takes effect shall become circuits and divisions of the Circuit Court as herein established until changed pursuant to this Amendment. Circuit Courts shall assume the jurisdiction of Circuit, Chancery, Probate and Juvenile Courts. (2) District Courts shall have the jurisdiction vested in Municipal Courts, Corporation Courts, Police Courts, Justice of the Peace Courts, and Courts of Common Pleas at the time this Amendment takes effect. District Courts shall assume the jurisdiction of these courts of limited jurisdiction and other jurisdiction conferred in this Amendment on January 1, 2005. City Courts shall continue in existence after the effective date of this Amendment unless such City Court is abolished by the governing body of the city or by appropriate action of the General Assembly. Immediately upon abolition of such City Court, the jurisdiction of the City Court shall vest in the nearest District Court in the county where the city is located. (C) Continuation of Courts. The Supreme Court provided for in this Amendment shall be a continuation of the Supreme Court now existing. The Court of Appeals shall be regarded as a continuation of the Court of Appeals now existing. All laws and parts of laws relating to the Supreme Court and to the Court of Appeals which are not in conflict or inconsistent with this Amendment shall remain in full force and effect and shall apply to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, respectively, established by this Amendment until amended, repealed or superseded by appropriate action of the General Assembly or the Supreme Court pursuant to this Amendment. The Circuit Courts shall be regarded as a continuation of the Circuit, Chancery, Probate and Juvenile Courts now existing. Effective January 1, 2005, the District Courts shall be regarded as a continuation of the Municipal Courts, Corporation Courts, Police Courts, Justice of the Peace Courts and Courts of Common Pleas now existing. All the papers and records pertaining to these courts shall be transferred accordingly, and no suit or prosecution of any kind or nature shall abate because of any change made by this Amendment. All writs, actions, suits, proceedings, civil or criminal liabilities, prosecutions, judgments, decrees, orders, sentences, regulations, causes of action and appeals existing on the effective date of this Amendment shall continue unaffected except as modified in accordance with this Amendment.