_Chap. 2.—An ACT to provide for the Sport nent of a police justice for
the city of Alexandria and his jurisdiction. (H. B. 164.)

Approved January 31, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
there shall be appointed by the corporation or hustings court
of the city of Alexandria, or the judge thereof in vacation, one
police justice for said city. The police justice so appointed shall
hold office for the term of four years, and until his successor is
appointed and qualified, and shall be a conservator of the peace
within the corporate limits of said city and within one mile be-
yond the corporate limits of said city, and within such limits
shall have exclusive original jurisdiction for the trial of all of-
fenses against the ordinances of said city, and shall have con-
current jurisdiction with the corporation or hustings court
thereof in all cases of violations of revenue laws of the State,
and of offenses arising under the provisions of chapter one hun-
dred and eighty-seven, and of sections thirty-eight hundred and
one, thirty-eight hundred and two, thirty-eight hundred and
three and thirty-eight hundred and four of the Code of Vir-
ginia, and except when it is otherwise specially provided shall
have exclusive original jurisdiction for the trial of all other mis-
demeanor cases occurring within the said jurisdiction; and in
addition thereto, shall, in all offenses against the laws of this
Commonwealth, possess the jurisdiction and exercise all the
powers conferred upon justices of the peace and police justices
by the laws of this State, in all of which cases the punishment
may be the same as the mayor of any such city, or the corpora-
tion or hustings court thereof, are authorized to impose. There
shall be an appeal from the judgment of such police justice
the corporation or hustings court of said city, as now or here-
after provided by law, from the judgments of justices of the
peace or police justice. .

2. The first appointment under the provisions of this act
shall be made in the month of February, nineteen hundred and
sixteen, and the police justice first appointed shall enter upon the
discharge of his duties on the first day of March, nineteen hun-
dred and sixteen, and his successor shall be appointed in like
manner, in the month of January, nineteen hundred and twenty,
and every four years thereafter, and the term of his office shall
commence on the first day of February next succeeding his ap-
pointment; provided, that where no appointment has been made,
as above provided, the same may be made by said corporation
or hustings court, or the judge thereof in vacation, at any time
thereafter, and the term of office of the police justice so ap-
pointed shall commence immediately upon his appointment and
qualification, and he shall serve for the balance of the unex-
pired term and until his successor is appointed and qualified.

3. The police justice appointed under the provisions of this
act shall be paid a salary out of the treasury of said city and
the council of said city shall make provision therefor, and such
police justice shall receive no other compensation for his ser-
vices. The salary of the said police justice shall not be less than
seven hundred and twenty dollars.

4. In cases of a vacancy caused by the death, resignation
or removal of any police justice appointed under the provisions
of this act, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment in the
manner provided by section one of this act, and such appointee
shall hold office for the unexpired term, unless sooner removed,
and until his successor has been duly appointed and qualified.

5. Any such police justice may be suspended or removed
from office by the corporation court of said city for which he is
appointed, for malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetency, or gross
neglect of official duty. All proceedings under this section shall
be by order of and on motion before the corporation or hustings
court, upon reasonable notice to the officer to be affected thereby.
And such officer shall have the right to demand a trial by jury.

6. In cases of the sickness or inability of any such police
justice to discharge the duties of his office, or if he is so situated
as to render it improper for him to preside at any trial, the cor-
poration or hustings court, or the judge thereof in vacation,
shall, by order entered of record, designate some other justice
of said city to act in his place. .

7. All acts or parts of acts in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed. ;

8. An emergency existing by reason of the doubtful con-
stitutionality of certain recent legislation affecting the police
justice in the city of Alexandria, this act shall be in force from
and after its passage.