Sec. 501.
The state is divided into judicial circuits as provided in this chapter.
History: 1961, Act 236, Eff. Jan. 1, 1963 ;-- Am. 1974, Act 145, Imd. Eff. June 7, 1974
Compiler's Notes: Sections 2 to 7 of Act 145 of 1974 provide:“Effective date of changes.“Section 2. The changes in the composition of judicial circuits or district court districts as provided in this amendatory act shall become effective for judicial purposes on January 1, 1975.“Election of additional circuit and district judges; assumption of office; appearance of new judgeships on ballot; nominating petitions; incumbent judges.“Section 3. The additional circuit and district judges authorized by this amendatory act shall be elected in 1974 and shall assume office on January 1, 1975. The new judgeships authorized by this amendatory act shall appear on the ballot separate and apart from other judicial offices on the ballot in the primary and general election in the respective judicial circuits and district court districts. If another judicial office of the same court is to be filled by election in the same circuit or district, a candidate for a new judgeship authorized in that circuit or district by this amendatory act shall indicate, at the time of filing his nominating petitions, whether he is filing for a new judgeship or for 1 of the other judicial offices of the same court to be filled by election in the applicable year. Petitions for a new judgeship created by this act must bear signatures affixed thereto after the effective date of this act. Any incumbent circuit or district judge whose term is expiring January 1, 1975, and who is seeking election to a judicial office of the same court in 1974 is entitled to the designation of his office even if he is a candidate for a new office of the same court authorized by this amendatory act.“Nominating petitions.“Section 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, nominating petitions for the offices added by this 1974 amendatory act shall contain not less than 1/2 of 1% nor more than 2% of the total number of votes cast in that judicial circuit for secretary of state at the last preceding general November election in which a secretary of state was elected.“Nomination, election, and terms of candidates for new circuit judgeships.“Section 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 3 and 4 of Act No. 169 of the Public Acts of 1972, the 10 candidates for the new circuit judgeships in the third judicial circuit created by Act No. 169 of the Public Acts of 1972 who receive the highest votes in the August primary election shall be deemed nominated for the 5 new judgeships created thereby. Of the additional judgeships so created for the third judicial circuit the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in the 1974 general election shall be elected for a term of 10 years, the candidates receiving the second and third highest number of votes shall be elected for a term of 8 years, and the candidates receiving the fourth and fifth highest number of votes shall be elected for a term of 6 years.“Terms of additional circuit judges.“Section 6. The additional circuit judges authorized by this amendatory act shall be elected for a term of 6 years except that the additional circuit judge authorized by this amendatory act in the forty-fourth judicial circuit shall be elected for a term of 8 years.“Terms of additional district judges in certain districts.“Section 7. In districts in which the district court is already functioning on the effective date of this amendatory act, the additional district judges authorized by this amendatory act shall be elected for a term of 6 years, except that the additional district judges authorized in the first election division of the ninth district and in the fifteenth district shall be elected for a term of 8 years and that the additional district judge authorized in the newly divided forty-first-a district shall be elected for a term of 4 years.”