The Judiciary Power.
11. Courts of justice are maintained in every county ef the state. All judicial officers are elected annually [the justice of the supreme court, at present, by the legislature) ; assistant judges of the county court, by the freemen of their respective counties, Const. pt. 2, 4; Art. Amend. 14; judges of probate, by the freemen of their respect ive districts, Art. Amend. 16; and jiistices of the peace, by the freemen of their respective towns. Art. Amend. 5, 13, 15, 16, 18; Const. pt. 2, 8, 10. Sheriffs and high-bailiffs, and state's attorneys, ere elected annually by the freemen of the state, and the respective oounties and towns, by ballot, on the first Tuesday in September.
12. The Supreme Court consists Of one chief and two associate justices.
It has exclusive jurisdiction of all such petitions not triable by jury ea may by law be brought be fore such court, end has power to issue end de termine all writs of error, certiorari, mandsmus, prohibition, and quo warrant°, and writs to courts of inferior jurisdiction that may be necessary, and has appellate jurisdiction of all questions of law removed from the county courts.
The County Court consists of a chiefjudge, elected by the general assembly annually, one for each of the four circuits'into which the state is divided for the purpose, and two assistant judges, elected in each county for the county. It has original and
exclusive jurisdiction of all civil actions, except those cognizable by a justice of the peace, original jurisdiction of all criminal actions, and appellate jurisdiction in certein cases from .justices of the peace. An action may be reviewed once at the next teim of the court.
13. Justices of the peace are elected by tho people of the varioue towns, for the term of one year. Every town may have one, and the larger towns more, those having a population of fifteen thousand or more being entitled to fifteen. They have jurisdiction in civil cases where the debt is not over one hundred dollars, in actions of trespass where the damages are not over twenty dollars, and in criminal matters where the fine is not more than ten dollars.
Probate courts are held by judges elected for cue year by the electors of each of the probate districts. They, have jurisdiction of the eettlement of estates, appointment of guardians, granting letters of ad ministration, admitting wills to probate and the like. There is an appellate jurisdiction 'from this court to the county court, and in matters of law to the supreme court.
A court of chancery is held by the circuit jn4ge of each circuit, with the powers generally or the English court of chancery. Twe stated tempi aro held annually in each county.