AL · constitutions
Ala. Const. art. VI, § 161
Continuation of Courts, District Attorneys, Clerks
(a) All courts not herein authorized which are in existence at the time this article becomes effective shall retain their powers for four years, unless sooner terminated by act of the legislature.
(b) All judges of the supreme court, court of criminal appeals, court of civil appeals and circuit courts shall retain their offices for the remainder of their respective terms.
(c) All justices of the supreme court in office when this article becomes effective shall be justices of the supreme court. All judges of the court of criminal appeals shall be judges of the court of criminal appeals. All judges of the court of civil appeals shall be judges of the court of civil appeals. All circuit judges in office when this article becomes effective shall be judges of the circuit courts. All city judges who are in office when this article becomes effective shall continue to be judges of their respective courts. All present city courts shall continue to function as provided by law for four years.
(d) All judges of any court in this state, excepting the supreme court, court of criminal appeals, court of civil appeals, circuit courts, probate courts, and city courts, whose salaries or compensation are paid by their respective counties, who are qualified under the provisions of this article, and who are holding office at the time of the approval of this constitutional amendment by the legislature and on the date of the establishment of the district court, shall be commissioned judges of the district court. Each such judge, accepting commission as a district judge, shall serve an initial term lasting until the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January following the next general election after he has completed three years in office as a district judge. At such election said judicial office shall be filled for a full term of office beginning at the end of the term for which such judge was commissioned.
(e) In the event a city ceases to have a city or municipal court, all judges of any city court in this state in cities which have more than one such judge at the time of approval of this constitutional amendment by the legislature and on the date of the establishment of the district court, if otherwise qualified under the provisions of this article, shall be commissioned judges of the district court. Each such judge accepting commission as a district judge shall serve an initial term lasting until the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January following the next general election after he has completed three years in office as a district judge. At such election said judicial office shall be filled for a full term of office beginning at the end of the term for which such judge was commissioned.
(f) All district attorneys of any circuit of this state, who are qualified under the provisions of this article, and who are holding office at the time of the approval of this constitutional amendment by the electors of the state, shall retain their offices for the remainder of their respective terms.
(g) All clerks of the circuit court of this state, who are holding office at the time of the approval of this constitutional amendment by the electors of the state, shall retain their offices for the remainder of their respective terms.
(h) Except to the extent inconsistent with the provisions of this article, all provisions of law and rules of court in force on the effective date of this article shall continue in effect until superseded in the manner authorized by the Constitution.
Provenance
- Source
- alison.legislature.state.al.us
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-24
- Edition
- 2026-09-24
- Content hash
3fbd00598709c20502129950689cff92202f55bf2ca4fc60c50e1524e01c649d
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