1. (A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:

   First Circuit
   Three Judges
   Second Circuit
   Two Judges
   Third Circuit
   Three Judges
   Fourth Circuit
   Three Judges
   Fifth Circuit
   Four Judges
   Sixth Circuit
   Two Judges
   Seventh Circuit
   Three Judges
   Eighth Circuit
   Three Judges
   Ninth Circuit
   Six Judges
   Tenth Circuit
   Three Judges
   Eleventh Circuit
   Three Judges
   Twelfth Circuit
   Three Judges
   Thirteenth Circuit
   Six Judges
   Fourteenth Circuit
   Three Judges
   Fifteenth Circuit
   Three Judges
   Sixteenth Circuit
   Two Judges

2. (B) In the following judicial circuits at least one family court judge must be a resident of each county in the circuit: fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth. In those judicial circuits made up of three or more counties, at least one family court judge must be a resident of one of the counties which does not have the largest population in the circuit. In the ninth circuit, both counties in the circuit must have at least two resident family court judges.
3. (C) No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge.
4. (D) In addition to the judges authorized by this section, there must be six additional family court judges elected by the General Assembly from the State at large for terms of office of six years. These additional judges must be elected without regard to county or circuit of residence. Each office of the at-large judges is a separate office and is assigned numerical designations of Seat No. 1 through Seat No. 6, respectively.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2; 2012 Act No. 241, Section 2, eff June 18, 2012.

Editor's Note

2012 Act No. 241, Section 3, provides as follows:

"The Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall begin the process of nominating candidates for the judicial offices authorized by the provisions of SECTIONS 1 and 2, and the General Assembly then shall elect these judges from the nominees of the commission; except that, the nominating process may not begin until funding for the additional judges is provided in the general appropriations act."

Effect of Amendment

The 2012 amendment added subsection (D).