Senate Bill No. 5

(By Senators Hunter and Love)

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[Introduced January 8, 2003; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend article one, chapter fifty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section nine-b, relating to temporary appointment of retired magistrate clerks in single-clerk counties.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article one, chapter fifty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated nine-b, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. COURTS AND OFFICERS.
§50-1-9b. Temporary appointment of retired magistrate clerks.
The judge of the circuit court, or the chief judge thereof if there is more than one judge of the circuit court may create a panel of senior or retired magistrate clerks who have served in single clerk counties to utilize the talent and experience of those retired magistrate clerks of this state. The judge of the circuit court, or the chief judge thereof if there is more than one judge of the circuit court
shall promulgate rules providing for senior or retired magistrate clerks to be assigned duties as needed and as feasible toward the objective of reducing caseloads and providing for replacement of magistrate clerks of single clerk counties who are unavailable: Provided, That reasonable payment shall be made to the senior or retired magistrate clerks on a per diem basis: Provided, however, That the per diem and retirement compensation of a senior or retired magistrate clerk may not exceed the salary of a sitting magistrate clerk and allowances shall also be made for necessary expenses pursuant to the travel regulations of the supreme court of appeals.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to
provide temporary appointment of senior or retired magistrate clerks in single clerk counties when the clerks of those counties are unavailable.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.