H0111B1699A01217 MSP:NLG 05/11/17 #90 A01217
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL NO. 111
Sponsor: REPRESENTATIVE SAYLOR
Printer's No. 1699
Amend Bill, page 2, by inserting between lines 24 and 25
(2) That section 2 of Article V be amended to read:
§ 2. Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court (a) shall be the highest court of the
Commonwealth and in this court shall be reposed the supreme
judicial power of the Commonwealth;
(b) shall consist of seven justices, to be selected as
established by law, one of whom shall be the Chief Justice; and
(c) shall have such jurisdiction as shall be provided by
law.
(3) That section 3 of Article V be amended to read:
§ 3. Superior Court.
The Superior Court shall be a statewide court, and shall
consist of [the number of judges, which shall be not less than
seven judges] 15 judges, to be selected as established by law,
and have such jurisdiction as shall be provided by this
Constitution or by the General Assembly. One of its judges shall
be the president judge.
(4) That section 4 of Article V be amended to read:
§ 4. Commonwealth Court.
The Commonwealth Court shall be a statewide court, and shall
consist of [the number of judges] nine judges, to be selected as
established by law, and have such jurisdiction as shall be
provided by law. One of its judges shall be the president judge.
(5) That section 11 of Article V be amended to read:
§ 11. Judicial districts; boundaries.
[The number and boundaries of judicial districts shall be
changed by the General Assembly only with the advice and consent
of the Supreme Court.]
(a) The number of judges and justices of the Supreme Court,
the Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court selected from each
judicial district shall provide every resident of this
Commonwealth with approximately equal representation on a court.
Each judicial district shall be composed of compact and
contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as
practicable. Unless absolutely necessary, no county, city,
incorporated town, borough, township or ward may be divided in
forming a judicial district.
2017/90MSP/HB0111A01217 - 1 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
(b) The General Assembly shall, by law, establish:
(1) An Eastern, Middle and Western judicial district from
which justices or judges are selected as follows:
(i) Two justices of the Supreme Court shall be selected from
within each judicial district and shall be residents of the
judicial district. One justice shall be selected on a Statewide
basis and may be a resident of any of the judicial districts.
(ii) Five judges of the Superior Court shall be selected
from within each judicial district and shall be residents of the
judicial district.
(iii) Three judges of the Commonwealth Court shall be
selected from within each judicial district and shall be
residents of the judicial district.
(2) A transition to an appellate court judiciary selected
from judicial districts.
(3) The effect of set judicial districts upon eligibility to
seek retention.
(4) The order in which justices of the Supreme Court and
judges of the Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court are
selected.
(5) The decennial realignment of the appellate judicial
districts based on the Federal decennial census, beginning in
2021 and occurring each ten years thereafter.
(c) Residency qualification for appointment to the Supreme
Court, the Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court shall be
established by the General Assembly.
(d) Except as provided under subsection (b) and section
7(b), the number and boundaries of all other judicial districts
shall be established by the General Assembly by law, with the
advice and consent of the Supreme Court.
Amend Bill, page 2, line 25, by striking out "(2)" and
inserting
(6)
Amend Bill, page 5, line 26, by striking out "(3)" and
inserting
(7)
Amend Bill, page 9, line 17, by inserting after "Court"
for a judicial district established under section 11
Amend Bill, page 9, line 27, by striking out "geographic,"
Amend Bill, page 10, by inserting between lines 2 and 3
(2) meet residency requirements under section 11(b), subject
to any other requirement established by law regarding judicial
districts;
2017/90MSP/HB0111A01217 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
Amend Bill, page 10, line 3, by striking out "(2)" and
inserting
(3)
Amend Bill, page 10, line 5, by striking out "(3)" and
inserting
(4)
Amend Bill, page 10, line 17, by striking out "(4)" and
inserting
(8)
2017/90MSP/HB0111A01217 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9