City of Derby, CT Justices of the Peace

§ 32-49 Offices established; qualifications.

There shall be 30 Justices of the Peace of the City of Derby, who shall have all of the powers, duties and responsibilities and who shall be subject to all of the qualifications as prescribed for such officers by the laws of the State of Connecticut.

§ 32-50 Nomination by major political parties.

Two-thirds of the total number of Justices of the Peace shall be selected by the political parties which are major parties as defined by Connecticut General Statutes, § 9-372(5)(B), which shall each be entitled to nominate an equal number of the total number of Justices of the Peace to be selected. If the number so nominated is not divisible by the number of political parties entitled to nominate Justices of the Peace, the Registrars of Voters shall determine by lot which of said parties may nominate one more Justice of the Peace than may be nominated by the other party or parties. Such nomination by such parties shall qualify the nominees to serve as Justices of the Peace. Such nomination shall be made within the time limits prescribed by state statute for municipal offices prior to a state election. Primaries for Justices of the Peace shall be by slate as in the case of convention delegates and shall be on the same day as primaries for municipal offices.

§ 32-51 Nomination by parties.

Each political party which is a major party as defined in Connecticut General Statutes, § 9-372(5)(A), but is not a major political party as defined in Subparagraph (B) of said subdivision, shall be entitled to nominate 20% of the total number of Justices of the Peace to be selected under § 32-52 hereinafter. Such percentage shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Justices of the Peace. Such nomination by such parties shall qualify the nominees to serve as Justices of the Peace. Such nomination shall be made within the time limits prescribed by state statute for municipal offices prior to a state election. Primaries for Justices of the Peace shall be by slate as in the case of convention delegates and shall be held on the same day as primaries for municipal offices.

§ 32-52 Appointment by Town Clerk.

The Town Clerk shall appoint as Justice of the Peace a number of electors of Derby who are not members of major parties, as defined in Connecticut General Statutes, § 9-372, which shall not exceed where no Justices of the Peace are selected pursuant to § 32-51 hereinabove, 1/3 of the total number of Justices of the Peace to be selected in Derby, or where Justices of the Peace are selected pursuant to § 32-51 hereinabove, 1/3 of the total number of Justices of the Peace to be selected in Derby less the number of Justices of the Peace selected pursuant to § 32-51. Such percentage shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number of Justices of the Peace. Any such appointment shall be made upon written application submitted on or after August 1 and on or before November 1 in such year. No person who has enrollment privileges in the town in a political party which selected Justices of the Peace under § 32-50 or under § 32-51 within the period beginning three months before said August 1 and ending on the date the person is to be appointed under this section shall be eligible for such appointment.

If, on November 1 in such year, the number of applications for Justices of the Peace filed with the Town Clerk under Subsection A of this section exceeds the number of Justices of the Peace allowed under this section, the Town Clerk shall, on or before the 15th business day of November, select the applicants to be appointed as Justices of the Peace by lot in a ceremony which shall be open to the public and held on five days' public notice. At such lottery the Town Clerk shall determine the order of all applications for the purpose of filling future vacancies. If a Town Clerk receives a number of applications that is less than the number of Justices of the Peace that the Clerk is authorized to appoint under this section in any year, the Clerk shall not appoint any additional Justices of the Peace.

§ 32-53 Terms of office; vacancies.

The terms of office of Justices of the Peace shall begin on the first Monday of January succeeding their nomination or appointment and shall continue until the first Monday in January four years thereafter.

Any vacancy in the office of a Justice of the Peace selected pursuant to § 32-50 or 32-51 shall be filled by appointment by the Town Committee of the political party of the vacating Justice until the day on which the term of office of such vacating Justice would have terminated. The Town Chairman or the Secretary of the appointing Town Committee shall file with the Town Clerk a certificate of each such appointment and the Town Clerk shall record the certificate with the records of the town meeting. The Town Clerk shall notify the Secretary of the State of any such vacancy.

Any vacancy in the office of a Justice of the Peace selected pursuant to § 32-52 shall be filled by appointment by the Town Clerk of an elector qualifying under Subsection A of said section in the order determined in the lottery held under Subsection A and B of said section. If no such lottery is held, the vacancy shall not be filled.