Acts of 1903 Chapter 361

COMPILER’S NOTE:  See Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 10.

SECTION 1.  That a Criminal Court Circuit is hereby created and established, to be composed of the Counties of Hamilton, Sequatchie, Marion and Franklin, to be known as the Criminal Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit.  Said Court shall have jurisdiction of all criminal business of said counties, which said criminal jurisdiction is taken from the Sixth Judicial Circuit and conferred as said Criminal Court herein established for said circuit.

SECTION 2.  That said Criminal Court shall have general common law jurisdiction, original and appellate, over all criminal cases arising in said counties to the same extent as is now or hereafter may be conferred as said Criminal Court of this State under the common law or by statute.

SECTION 3.  That the time for holding the Criminal Court for said Criminal Circuit shall be as follows:  In Hamilton County on the second Monday in January, May and September each year; in Sequatchie County on fourth Mondays in March, July and November of each year; in Marion County on the first Mondays in April, August and December each year; in Franklin County on the third Mondays in April, August and December each year; provided, that in Hamilton County said Criminal Court shall be kept open for the transaction of business from its opening until Saturday before the day herein fixed for the convening of court in Sequatchie County.

SECTION 4.  That the Circuit Court Clerks of the counties herein named shall be the Clerks of the said Criminal Court in the respective counties herein named, and they shall receive the same compensation and perform the same duties as they are now receiving and performing by law.

SECTION 5.  That the Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for the Sixth Judicial Circuit shall be the Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for said Criminal Court and shall hold and perform the duties thereof until the first Monday in September, 1910, as are now provided by law.

SECTION 6.  That immediately on the passage of this Act, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the Governor shall appoint a Judge of said Criminal Court, whose salary shall be the same as that of the other Criminal and Circuit Judges of the State, and paid in like manner by the State, and who shall possess same qualifications as are now required by law for Judges of this state, who shall hold this office until September 1, 1904, and until his successor is elected and qualified, and at the August election, 1904, there shall be elected by the qualified voters of Hamilton, Sequatchie, Marion and Franklin Counties, a Judge of said Criminal Court who shall hold his office until September 1, 1910, and until his successor is elected and qualified, and at the regular August election for other civil officers for the State in 1910, and thereafter every eight years there shall be elected by the qualified voters of said counties a Judge and Attorney General for said Criminal Court.

SECTION 7.  That the Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit shall try and determine all cases of a civil nature, as now provided by law, and that the terms of Court shall be as follows:  In Hamilton County, first Mondays in January, May and September, each year; in Sequatchie County, fourth Mondays in March, July and November each year; in Marion County, the first Mondays in April, August and December each year; and in Franklin County the third Mondays in April, August and September each year.

SECTION 8.  That all laws or parts of laws in conflict with this Act be and the same are hereby repealed, insofar as they conflict with this Act, but no further or otherwise.

SECTION 9.  That this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.

Passed:  April 14, 1903.