Ballot Questions
1925
Question #4
State Constitutional Amendment
NYS were asked if they wanted to pass an amendment to the NYS constitution,
to change VI.1, VI.2, VI.3, VI.4, VI.5, VI.6, VI.7, VI.8, VI.9, VI.10, VI.11, VI.12, VI.13, VI.14, VI.15, VI.16, VI.17, VI.18, VI.19, VI.20, VI.21, VI.22, VI.23 - to reorganize the judicial system
as proposed by the NYS Legislature
And the voters said: Yes!
How We Voted
YES |
|
60.54% |
|
1,090,632 New Yorkers voted Yes |
||
NO |
39.46% |
|
|
711,018 New Yorkers voted No |
||
1,801,650 votes determined the outcome of this ballot question.
We found out how every county voted on this ballot question, and mapped it!
Visit this page on a large screen and you'll find our map. Click on a county to see how its voters stood on this questionThis BQ Amended
Note: When voters approved of provisions, the new changes take effect on January 1st of the year after the question's appearance on the ballot
VI.1 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 1: Supreme court; how constituted; judicial districts.
The supreme court is continued with general jurisdiction in law and equity, subject to such appellate jurisdiction of the court of appeals as now is or hereafter may be prescribed by law not inconsistent with this article. The existing judicial districts of the state are continued until changed as hereinafter provided. The supreme court shall consist of the justices now…
Read moreVI.2 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 2: Appellate division.
The division of the state into four judicial department is continued as now constituted by law. Once every ten years, the legislature may alter the boundaries of the judicial departments, but without increasing the number thereof, and each department shall be bounded by the lines of judicial districts. The appellate divisions of the supreme court are continued, and shall consist…
Read moreVI.3 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 3: Appellate term.
The appellate divisions in the first and second departments shall severally have power to establish an appellate term of the supreme court to be held in and for its department, to be constituted of not less than three nor more than five justices of the supreme court, who shall be designated from time to time by such appellate division and…
Read moreVI.4 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 4: Vacancies in supreme court.
The official terms of the justices of the supreme court shall be fourteen years from and including the first day of January next after their election. When a vacancy shall occur otherwise than by expiration of term in the office of justice of the supreme court, the same shall be filled for a full term, at the next general election…
Read moreVI.5 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 5: Court of appeals.
The court of appeals is continued. It shall consist of the chief judge, the six elected associate judges now in office, who shall hold their offices until the expiration of their respective terms, and their successors, who shall be chosen by the electors of the state, and such justices of the supreme court as may be designated for service in…
Read moreVI.6 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 6: Vacancies in court of appeals.
When a vacancy shall occur otherwise than by expiration of term, in the office of chief or elected judge of the court of appeals, the same shall be filled, for a full term, at the next general election held not less than three months after such vacancy occurs; and until the vacancy shall be so filled, the Governor, by and…
Read moreVI.7 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 7: Jurisdiction of court of appeals.
The jurisdiction of the court of appeals, except where the judgment is of death, or where the appellate division, on reversing or modifying a final judgment in an action or a final order in a special proceeding, makes new findings of fact and renders final judgment or a final order thereon, shall be limited to the review of questions of…
Read moreVI.8 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 8: Appellate process.
Upon an appeal from a judgment or an order, any appellate court to which the appeal is taken which is authorized to review such judgment or order may reverse or affirm, wholly or in part, or may modify the judgment or order appealed from, and each interlocutory judgment or intermediate or other order which it is authorized to review, and…
Read moreVI.9 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 9: Removal of judges.
Judges of the court of appeals and justices of the supreme court may be removed by concurrent resolution of both houses of the legislature, if two thirds of all the members elected to each house concur therein. All other judicial officers, except justices of the peace, justices of the municipal court of the city of New York, and judges or…
Read moreVI.10 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 10: Impeachments.
The assembly shall have the power of impeachment by a vote of a majority of all the members elected thereto. The court for the trial of impeachments shall be composed of the president of the senate, the senators or the major part of them, and the judges of the court of appeals, or the major part of them. On the…
Read moreVI.11 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 11: County Courts.
The existing county courts are continued, and the judges thereof now in office shall hold their offices until the expiration of their respective terms. In the county of Kings there shall be five county judges and in the county of Bronx two county judges. The number of county judges in any county may also be increased, from time to time,…
Read moreVI.12 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 12: Local judicial officers; Special county judge and surrogate.
The legislature, on application of the board of supervisors or other body exercising similar powers, may, in any county having a county court, provide for the election of a special county judge or special surrogate, not to exceed two in any county, to discharge the duties of county judge or of surrogate in such other cases as may be provided…
Read moreVI.13 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 13: Surrogates' courts.
The existing surrogates’ courts are continued, and the surrogates now in office shall hold their offices until the expiration of their respective present terms. Their successors shall be chosen by the electors of their respective counties, and their terms of office shall be six years, except in the counties of New York, Kings, Bronx and Queens, where they shall hereafter…
Read moreVI.14 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 14: Court of general sessions of New York City continued.
The court of general sessions in and for the city and county of New York is continued with its present jurisdiction, under the name of the court of general sessions of the county of New York. The said court shall consist of the judges now in office, all of whom shall continue to be judges of the court of general…
Read moreVI.15 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 15: City court of New York City is continued.
The city court of the city of New York is continued, and, from and after the first day of January in the second year following the adoption of this article, it shall have the same jurisdiction and power throughout the city of New York, under the name of the city court of the city of New York, as it now…
Read moreVI.16 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 16: Judicial vacancies in New York City.
Vacancies occurring in the office of county judge, special county judge, surrogate, special surrogate, judge of the court of general sessions of the city of New York, or justice of the county court of the city of New York, shall be filled by appointment by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the senate if the senate…
Read moreVI.17 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 17: Justices of the peace.
The electors of the several towns shall, at their annual town meetings, or at such other time and in such manner as the legislature may direct, elect justices of the peace, whose term of office shall be four years. In case of an election to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of a full term, they shall hold for…
Read moreVI.18 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 18: Inferior local courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction may be established by the Legislature, but no inferior local court hereafter created shall be a court of record. Except as herein provided the Legislature shall not hereafter confer upon any inferior or local court of its creation, any equity jurisdiction or any greater jurisdiction in other respects than is conferred upon County Courts by or under this article. The legislature may establish children's courts, and courts of domestic relations, as separate courts, or as parts of existing courts or courts hereafter to be created, and may confer upon them such jurisdiction as may be necessary for the correction, protection, guardianship and disposition of delinquent, neglected or dependent minors, and for the punishment and correction of adults responsible for or contributing to such delinquency, neglect or dependency, and to compel the support of a wife, child or poor relative by persons legally chargeable therewith who abandon or neglect to support) any of them. In conferring such jurisdiction the legislature shall provide that whenever a child is committed to an institution or is placed in the custody of any person by parole, placing out, adoption or guardianship, it shall be so committed or placed, when practicable, to an institution governed by persons, or in the custody of a person, of the same religious persuasion as the child. In the exercise of such jurisdiction such courts may hear and determine such causes, with or without a jury, except those involving a felony. Except as herein otherwise provided, all judicial officers shall be elected or appointed at such times and in such manner as the Legislature may direct.
Inferior local courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction may be established by the legislature, but no such inferior local court which has been created since the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, or is hereafter created shall be a court of record. All inferior local courts now or hereafter established may be regulated or discontinued by…
Read moreVI.19 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 19: Compensation for judges, justices, and surrogates.
All judges, justices and surrogates shall receive for their services such compensation as is now or may hereafter be established by law, provided only that such compensation shall not be diminished during their respective terms of office. Except as in this article provided, all judicial officers shall be elected or appointed at such times and in such manner as the…
Read moreVI.20 proposed for 1926
Article VI: Judiciary • Section 20: Testimony, jurisdiction, and proceedings in law and equity cases.
The testimony in equity cases shall be taken in like manner as in cases at law; and, except as herein otherwise provided, the legislature shall have the same power to alter and regulate the jurisdiction and proceedings in law and in equity that it has heretofore exercised.
Read more