Senate Bill No. 603

(By Senator Minard and Sharpe)

____________

[Introduced February 15, 2002; referred to the Committee

on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

____________
A BILL to amend and reenact section nine-a, article one, chapter fifty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to adding a magistrate court deputy clerk to serve the magistrate court system in Braxton County.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section nine-a, article one, chapter fifty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. COURTS AND OFFICERS.
 §50-1-9a. Magistrate court deputy clerks; duties; salary.
(a) Whenever required by workload and upon the recommendation of the judge of the circuit court, or the chief judge of the circuit court if there is more than one judge of the circuit court, the supreme court of appeals may, by rule, provide for the appointment of magistrate court deputy clerks, not to exceed sixty-two in number. The magistrate court deputy clerks shall be appointed by the judge of the circuit court, or the chief judge if there is more than one judge of the circuit court, to serve at his or her will and pleasure under the immediate supervision of the magistrate court clerk.
(b) Magistrate court deputy clerks shall have the duties, clerical or otherwise, as may be assigned by the magistrate court clerk and as may be prescribed by the rules of the supreme court of appeals or the judge of the circuit court or the chief judge if there is more than one judge of the circuit court. Magistrate court deputy clerks may also exercise the power and perform the duties of the magistrate court clerk as may be delegated or assigned by the magistrate court clerk.
(c) A magistrate court deputy clerk may not be an immediate family member of any magistrate, magistrate court clerk, magistrate assistant or judge of the circuit court within the same county, may not have been convicted of a felony or any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude and must reside in this state. For purposes of this subsection, "immediate family member" means a mother, father, sister, brother, child or spouse.
(d) Magistrate court deputy clerks shall be paid a monthly salary by the state on the same basis and in the same amounts established for magistrate assistants in each county, as provided in section nine of this article.
 (e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, the allowable number of magistrate court deputy clerks serving Braxton County on the first day of March, two thousand two, shall be increased by one, effective the first day of July, two thousand two.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add a magistrate court deputy clerk to serve the magistrate court system in Braxton County.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.