Chap. 542.—An ACT to provide for the appointment of police justices and their
jurisdiction in citiés of a population of ten thousand or over, in which, by the
terms of their charters, no provision is made for the election or appointment
of police justices.

Approved December 31, 1903.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That there shall
be appointed by the corporation or hustings court, or the judge thereof
in vacation, one police justice for each city of a population of ten thou-
sand and over, in which, by the terms of its charter, no provision is made
for the appointment or élection of a police justice. The police justices
so appointed shall hold office for the term of four years, and until their
successors are appointed and qualified, and shall be conservators of the
peace within the corporate limits of the city for which they are ap-
pointed, respectively, and within one mile beyond the corporate limits
of such cities, and within such limits shall have exclusive original juris-
diction for the trial of all offenses against the ordinances of the respec-
tive cities for which they shall be appointed, and shall have concurrent
jurisdiction with the corporation or hustings courts of such cities in all
cases of violations of the revenue laws of the State, and of offenses aris-
ing under the provisions of chapter one hundred 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 Virginia, and except when it is otherwise specially provided
shall have exclusive original jurisdiction for the trial of all other mis-
demeanor cases occurring within their 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 jus-
tices 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 corporation or hustings court thereof, are authorized to im-
pose. There shall be an appeal from the judgment of such police jus-
tice to the corporation or hustings court of the corporation, as now or
hereafter provided by law from the judgments of justices of the peace
or police justices: provided, that no such appointment shall be made in
any city whereby the present terms of its charter, the jurisdiction, and
powers conferred upon police justices by this act, are conferred upon the
mayor of such city, unless the council thereof shall by resolution request
that such appointment be made.

2. The first appointment under the provisions of this act shall be
made in the month of January, nineteen hundred and four, and the
police justices first appointed shall enter upon the discharge of their
duties on the first day of February, nineteen hundred and four, and
their successors shall be appointed in like manner in the month of Jan-
uary, nineteen hundred and eight, and every four years thereafter, and
the terms of their office shall commence on the first day of February
next succeeding their appointment.

3. The police justices appointed under the provision of this act shall
be paid a salary out of the treasury of the city for which they shall be
appointed, and the councils of such cities shall make provision therefor.
and such police justices shall receive no other compensation for their
services. The salaries of the said police justices shall not be less than
seven hundred and twenty dollars in cities of ten thousand population
and not over twenty thousand population; nine hundred dollars in cities
of over twenty thousand and not over thirty thousand population: and
twelve hundred dollars in cities over thirty thousand population.

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

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

y¥ jury.

6. In case of the sickness or inability of any such police justice to dis-
charge the dutics of his office, or if he is so situated as to render it im-
proper for him to preside at any trial, the corporation or hustings court.
or the judge thereof in vacation, shall, by order entered of record, desig-
nate some other justice of said city to act in his place.

7. This act shall be in force from its passage.