GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2009
H 2
HOUSE BILL 1398
Senate Judiciary I Committee Substitute Adopted 7/6/10
Short Title: Determining Senior Resident Sup Ct Judge. |
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April 13, 2009
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to change the method for determining the senior resident superior court judge for a district; and to allow a federal district court judge to perform marriage CEREMONIES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 7A-41.1(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b) There shall be one and only one senior resident superior court judge for each district or set of districts as defined in subsection (a) of this section, who shall be:
(1) Where there is only one regular resident superior court judge for the district, that judge; and
(2) Where there are
two or more regular resident superior court judges for the district or set of
districts, the judge who, from among all the regular resident superior court
judges of the district or set of districts, has the most continuous service as
a regular resident superior court judge; provided if two or more judges are of
equal seniority, the oldest of those judges shall be the senior regular
resident superior court judge.the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
shall designate one of the judges as senior resident superior court judge to
serve in that capacity at the pleasure of the Chief Justice. In exercising the
authority to appoint senior resident superior court judges pursuant to this
subdivision, the Chief Judge shall consider the seniority, experience, and
management competence of the regular resident superior court judges. In
addition, the Chief Justice shall consult with the regular resident
superior court judges, the chief district court judges, the members of the
district bar, the clerks of court, district attorneys, and public defenders
within the district."
SECTION 2. G.S. 51-1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 51-1. Requisites of marriage; solemnization.
A valid and sufficient marriage is created by the consent of a male and female person who may lawfully marry, presently to take each other as husband and wife, freely, seriously and plainly expressed by each in the presence of the other, either:
(1) a. In the presence of an ordained minister of any religious denomination, a minister authorized by a church, a federal district court judge, or a magistrate; and
b. With the
consequent declaration by the minister minister, federal district court
judge, or magistrate that the persons are husband and wife; or
(2) In accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by any religious denomination, or federally or State recognized Indian Nation or Tribe.
Marriages solemnized before March 9, 1909, by ministers of the gospel licensed, but not ordained, are validated from their consummation."
SECTION 3. Section 1 of this act becomes effective October 1, 2010, but each senior resident superior court judge seated on that date in a multi-judge district shall continue to serve as senior resident superior court judge until that judge vacates the seat. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.