their pleasure. He shall distribute the business of the court among the judges thereof, and prescribe the order of business. The judgments, orders, and proceedings of any session of the superior court held by any one or more of the judges of said courts, respectively, shall be equally effectual as if all the judges of said respective courts presided at such session. In each of the counties of Sacramento, San Joaquin, Los Angeles, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Alameda there shall be elected two such judges. The term of office of judges of the superior courts shall be six years from and after the first Monday of January, next succeeding their election; provided, that the twelve judges of the superior court elected in the city and county of San Francisco, at the first election held under this Constitution, shall at their first meeting so classify themselves, by lot, that four of them shall go out of office at the end of two years, and four of them shall go out of office at the end of four years, and four of them shall go out of office at the end of six years, and an entry of such classification shall be made in the minutes of the court, signed by them, and a duplicate thereof filed in the office of the secretary of state. The first election of judges of the superior courts shall take place at the first general election held after the adoption and ratification of this Constitution. If a vacancy occur in the office of judge of the superior court, the governor shall appoint a person to hold the office until the election and qualification of a judge to fill the vacancy, which election shall take place at the next succeeding general election, and the judge so elected shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Sec. 7. In any county, or city and county, other than the city and county of San Francisco, in which there shall be more than one judge of the superior court, the judges of such court may hold as many sessions of said court at the same time as there are judges thereof, and shall apportion the business among themselves as equally as may be.

Sec. 8. A judge of any superior court may hold a superior court in any county, at the request of a judge of the

superior court thereof, and upon the request of the governor it shall be his duty so to do. But a cause in the superior court may be tried by a judge pro tempore, who must be a member of the bar, agreed upon in writing by the parties litigant, or their attorneys of record, and sworn to try the cause, and the person so selected shall be empowered to act in such capacity in all further proceedings in any suit or proceedings tried before him until the final determination thereof. There may be as many sessions of a superior court at the same time as there are judges thereof, including any judge or judges acting upon request, or any judge or judges pro tempore. The judgment, orders, acts and proceedings of any session of any superior court held by one or more judges acting upon request, or judge or judges pro temporé, shall be equally effective as if the judge or all of the judges of such court presided at such session. [Amendment adopted November 8, 1910.]

Sec. 9. The legislature shall have no power to grant leave of absence to any judicial officer; and any such officer who shall absent himself from the state for more than sixty consecutive days shall be deemed to have forfeited his office. The legislature of the state may, at any time, twothirds of the members of the senate and two-thirds of the members of the assembly voting therefor, increase or diminish the number of judges of the superior court in any county, or city or county, in the state; provided, that no such reduction shall affect any judge who has been elected.

Sec. 10. Justices of the supreme court, and of the district courts of appeal, and judges of the superior courts may be removed by concurrent resolution of both houses of the legislature adopted by a two-thirds vote of each house. All other judicial officers, except justices of the peace, may be removed by the senate on the recommendation of the governor; but no removal shall be made by virtue of this section unless the cause thereof be entered on the journal, nor unless the party complained of has been served with a copy of the complaint against him and shall have had an opportunity of being heard in his defense. On the question of

removal the ayes and noes shall be entered on the journal. [Amendment adopted November 8, 1904.]

Sec. 11. The legislature shall determine the number of each of the inferior courts in incorporated cities or towns, and in townships, counties, or cities and counties, according to the population thereof and the number of judges or justices thereof, and shall fix by law the powers, duties and responsibilities of each of such courts and of the judges or justices thereof; provided, such powers shall not in any case trench upon the jurisdiction of the several courts of record, except that the legislature shall provide that said courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the superior courts in cases of forcible entry and detainer, where the rental value does not exceed twenty-five dollars per month, and where the whole amount of damages claimed does not exceed two hundred dollars, and in cases to enforce and foreclose liens on personal property when neither the amount of liens nor the value of the property amounts to three hundred dollars. [Amendment adopted October 10, 1911.]

Sec. 12. The supreme court, the district courts of appeal, the superior courts, and such other courts as the legislature shall prescribe, shall be courts of record. [Amendment

adopted November 8, 1904.]

Sec. 13. The legislature shall fix by law the jurisdiction of any inferior courts which may be established in pursuance of section 1 of this article, and shall fix by law the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the judges thereof.

Sec. 14. The county clerks shall be ex-officio clerks of the courts of record in and for their respective counties, or cities and counties. The legislature may also provide for the appointment, by the several superior courts, of one or more commissioners in their respective counties, or cities and counties, with authority to perform chamber business of the judges of the superior courts, to take depositions, and perform such other business connected with the administration of justice as may be prescribed by law. [Amendment adopted October 10, 1911.]

Sec. 15. No judicial officer, except court commissioners, shall receive to his own use any fees or perquisites of office; provided, that justices of the peace now holding office shall receive to their own use such fees as are now allowed by law during the terms for which they have been elected. [Amendment adopted October 10, 1911.]

Sec. 16. The legislature shall provide for the speedy publication of such opinions of the supreme court and of the district courts of appeal as the supreme court may deem expedient, and all opinions shall be free for publication by any person. [Amendment adopted November 8, 1904.]

Sec. 17. The justices of the supreme court and of the district courts of appeal, and the judges of the superior courts, shall severally, at stated times during their continuance in office, receive for their service such compensation as is or shall be provided by law. The salaries of the judges. of the superior court, in all counties having but one judge, and in all counties in which the terms of the judges of the superior court expire at the same time, shall not hereafter be increased or diminished after their election, nor during the term for which they shall have been elected. Upon the adoption of this amendment the salaries then established by law shall be paid uniformly to the justices and judges then in office. The salaries of the justices of the supreme court and of the district courts of appeal shall be paid by the state. One-half of the salary of each superior court judge shall be paid by the state; and the other half thereof shall be paid by the county for which he is elected. On and after the first day of January, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seven, the justices of the supreme court shall each receive an annual salary of eight thousand dollars, and the justices of the several district courts of appeal shall each receive an annual salary of seven thousand dollars; the said salaries to be payable monthly. [Amendment adopted November 6, 1906.]

Sec. 18. The justices of the supreme court, and of the district courts of appeal, and the judges of the superior courts shall be ineligible to any other office or public em

ployment than a judicial office or employment during the term for which they shall have been elected. [Amendment adopted November 8, 1904.]

Sec. 19. Judges shall not charge juries with respect to matters of fact, but may state the testimony and declare the law.

Sec. 20. The style of process shall be "The People of the State of California," and all prosecutions shall be conducted in their name and by their authority.

Sec. 21. The supreme court shall appoint a clerk of the supreme court; provided, however, that any person elected to the office of clerk of the supreme court before the adoption hereof, shall continue to hold such office until the expiration of the term for which he may have been elected. Said court may also appoint a reporter and not more than three assistant reporters of the decisions of the supreme court and of the district courts of appeal. Each of the district courts of appeal shall appoint its own clerk. All the officers herein mentioned shall hold office and be removable at the pleasure of the courts by which they are severally appointed, and they shall receive such compensation as shall be prescribed by law, and discharge such duties as shall be prescribed by law, or by the rules or orders of the courts by which they are severally appointed. [Amendment adopted October 10, 1911.]

Sec. 22. No judge of a court of record shall practice law in any court of this state during his continuance in office.

Sec. 23. No one shall be eligible to the office of a justice of the supreme court, or of a district court of appeal, or of a judge of a superior court, unless he shall have been admitted to practice before the supreme court of the state. [Amendment adopted November 8, 1904.]

Sec. 24. No judge of the supreme court nor of a district court of appeal, nor of a superior court, shall draw or receive any monthly salary unless he shall make and subscribe an affidavit before an officer entitled to administer oaths, that no cause in his court remains pending and undecided, that has been submitted for decision for a period of ninety