Part 1 Preamble to Section 144
BILL OF RIGHTS- ... Rights of life, liberty, worship, pursuit of safety and happiness, free speech, acquiring and protecting property, peaceable assembly, redress of grievances, bearing arms.
- ... Men are equal -- No exclusive grant except for public services -- Property not to be exempted from taxation -- Grants revocable.
- ... Power inherent in the people -- Right to alter, reform, or abolish government.
- ... Truth may be given in evidence in prosecution for publishing matters proper for public information -- Jury to try law and facts in libel prosecutions.
- ... Security from search and seizure -- Conditions of issuance of warrant.
- ... Rights of accused in criminal prosecution -- Change of venue.
- ... Indictable offense not to be prosecuted by information -- Exceptions.
- ... Double jeopardy -- Property not to be taken for public use without compensation.
- ... Right of judicial remedy for injury -- Speedy trial.
- ... Excessive bail or fine, or cruel punishment, prohibited.
- ... Ex post facto law or law impairing contract forbidden -- Rules of construction for mineral deeds relating to coal extraction.
- ... Standing armies restricted -- Military subordinate to civil -- Quartering soldiers restricted.
- ... No office of nobility or hereditary distinction, or for longer than a term of years.
- ... General powers subordinate to Bill of Rights -- Laws contrary thereto are void.
- ... Powers of government divided among legislative, executive, and judicial departments.
- ... One department not to exercise power belonging to another.
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THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
- ... Time of election and term of office of Senators and Representatives.
- ... Majority constitutes quorum -- Powers of less than a quorum.
- ... Each House to judge qualifications, elections, and returns of its members -- Contests.
- ... Powers of each House as to rules and conduct of members -- Contempt -- Bribery.
- ... Compensation of members -- Length of sessions -- Legislative day.
- ... Privileges from arrest and from questioning as to speech or debate.
- ... Ineligibility of members to civil office created or given increased compensation during term.
- ... Collector of public money ineligible unless he has quietus.
- ... Bills must be reported by committee, printed, and read -- How bill called from committee -- Votes required for passage.
- ... Bills to raise revenue must originate in House of Representatives.
- ... Resources of Sinking Fund not to be diminished -- Preservation of fund.
- ... Purposes for which debt may be contracted -- Tax to discharge -- Public vote.
- ... Law may not relate to more than one subject, to be expressed in title -- Amendments must be at length.
- ... General Assembly may not release debt to State or to county or city.
- ... Investigation of accounts of Treasurer and Auditor -- Report, publication, submission to Governor and General Assembly.
- ... When laws to take effect -- Emergency legislation.
- ... Signing of bills -- Enrollment -- Presentation to Governor.
- ... Member having personal interest to make disclosure and not vote.
- ... General Assembly not to audit nor allow private claim -- Exception -- Appropriations.
- ... General law not to be made special or local by amendment -- No special powers or privileges -- Law not to take effect on approval of other authority than General Assembly -- Exceptions.
- ... Provision to be made for local option on sale of liquor -- Time of elections.
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COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS
- ... Area of counties -- Boundaries -- Creation and abolishment of counties.
- ... Division of county or removal of county seat, election required -- Minimum population of county.
- ... Striking territory from county -- Liability for indebtedness.
- ... Civil officers liable to impeachment -- Judgment -- Criminal liability.
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THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
- ... Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- Term -- Tie vote.
- ... Qualifications of Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- Duties of Lieutenant Governor.
- ... When terms of Governor and Lieutenant Governor begin.
- ... Compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
- ... Governor is Commander-in-Chief of army, navy and militia.
- ... Power of Governor to remit fines and forfeitures, grant reprieves and pardons -- No power to remit fees.
- ... Governor may require information from state officers.
- ... Governor may call extraordinary session of General Assembly, adjourn General Assembly.
- ... When Lieutenant Governor to act as Governor -- President of the Senate not to preside at impeachment of Governor -- Certification of disability of Governor.
- ... Who to act as Governor in absence of Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate.
- ... Signature of bills by Governor -- Veto -- Passage over veto -- Partial veto.
- ... Concurrent orders and resolutions on same footing as bill.
- ... Contest of election for Governor or Lieutenant Governor.
- ... Constitutional State officers -- Election -- Qualifications -- Term of office -- Duties -- Secretary of State to record acts of Governor and report them to General Assembly.
- ... Succession of elected Constitutional State Officers -- Duties -- Inferior officers and members of boards and commissions.
- ... Time of election of elected Constitutional State officers.
- Officers for Districts and Counties
- ... Commonwealth's Attorney and Circuit Court Clerk -- Election -- Term.
- ... County officers, justices of the peace, and constables -- Election -- Term.
- ... Qualifications of officers for counties and districts.
- ... Abolishment of office of assessor -- Assessor may not succeed himself.
- ... Fees of county officers -- Fees in counties having seventy-five thousand population or more.
- ... Additional county or district offices may be created.
- ... Abolishment of office of commonwealth's attorney.
- ... The judicial power -- Unified system -- Impeachment.
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The Supreme Court
- ... Jurisdiction -- Quorum -- Special justices -- Districts -- Chief Justice.
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The Court of Appeals
- ... Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Administration -- Panels.
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The Circuit Court
- ... Location -- Circuits -- Composition -- Administration -- Jurisdiction.
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The District Court
- ... Location -- Districts -- Composition -- Administration -- Trial commissioners -- Jurisdiction.
- ... Rules governing jurisdiction, personnel, procedure, bar membership.
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Offices of Justices and Judges
DISTRIBUTION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT
THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
Clerks of Court
Appellate Policy -- Rule-Making Power
COUNTY COURTS
- ... County Court for each county -- Judge -- Compensation -- Commission -- Removal.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
- ... Justices' districts -- One Justice for each district -- Jurisdiction and powers of Justices -- Commissions -- Removal.
FISCAL COURTS
- Section 144 ... Fiscal Court for each county -- To consist of Justices of the Peace or Commissioners, and County Judge -- Quorum.
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