Section 11. County courts
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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, by the legislature, to such number that the total number of county judges in any one county shall not exceed one for every two hundred thousand, or major fraction thereof, of the population of such county. The additional county judge in the county of Bronx shall be chosen at the general election held in the first odd-numbered year after the adoption of this amendment. The additional county judges whose offices may be created by the legislature shall be chosen at the general election held in the first odd-numbered year after the creation of such office. All county judges, including successors to existing judges, shall from and including the first day of January following their election except that in counties within the city of New York the term shall be fourteen years. County courts in counties outside the city of New York shall have the powers and jurisdiction now prescribed by law, and also original jurisdiction in actions for the recovery of money only, where all the defendants reside in the county and in which the complaint demands judgment for a sum not exceeding three thousand dollars; but, if, in any action brought in said court, a counterclaim for more than three thousand dollars shall be interposed, the supreme court, on the application of either party made in the judicial district embracing the county, may remove the cause to the supreme court, whereupon such action shall proceed and be heard as if originally brought therein. The legislature may hereafter enlarge or restrict the jurisdiction of the county courts provided, however, that their jurisdiction shall not be so extended as to authorize an action therein for the recovery of money only in which (1) the sum demanded exceeds three thousand dollars, or (2) in which any person not a resident of the county is a defendant, unless such defendant have an office for the transaction of business within the county and the cause of action arose therein. From and after the first day of January in the second year following the adoption of this article, all the jurisdiction in civil actions or proceedings now vested in the county courts of the counties of Kings, Bronx, Queens and Richmond shall be withdrawn from such county courts and vested in the city court of the city of New York as constituted in and by section fifteen of this article, and said county courts shall thereafter be vested with jurisdiction only in criminal prosecutions or proceedings as now or hereafter provided by law. County judges shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law, and their compensation, as established by law, shall be payable out of the county treasury. A county judge of any county outside the city of New York may hold the county court in any other county when requested by the county judge of such other county; and, in case of the death, absence, or incapacity of a county judge, in a county having no special county judge then able to serve, the governor may designate a county judge of another county to hold the county court during such vacancy, absence, or inability to act.
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 four county judges. The number of county judges in any county may also be increased, from time to time, by the legislature, to such number that the total number of county judges in any county shall not exceed one for every two hundred thousand, or major fraction thereof, of the population of such county. The additional county judges in the county of Kings shall be chosen at the general election held in the first odd-numbered year after the adoption of this amendment. The additional county judges whose offices may be created by the legislature shall be chosen at the general election held in the first odd-numbered year after the creation of such office. All county judges, including successors to existing judges, shall be chosen by the electors of the counties for the term of six years from and including the first day of January following their election. County courts shall have the powers and jurisdiction they now possess, and also original jurisdiction in actions for the recovery of money only, where the defendants reside in the county, and in which the complaint demands judgement for a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars. The legislature may hereafter enlarge or restrict the jurisdiction of the county courts, provided, however, that their jurisdiction shall not be so extended as to authorize an action therein for the recovery of money only, in which the sum demanded exceeds two thousand dollars, or in which any person not a resident of the county is a defendant. Courts of sessions, except in the county of New York, are abolished from and after the last day of December, eighteen hundred and ninety-five. All the jurisdiction of the court of sessions in each county, except the county of New York, shall thereupon be vested in the county court thereof, and all actions and proceedings then pending in such courts of sessions shall be transferred to said county courts for hearing and determination. Every county judge shall perform such duties as they may be required by law. His salary shall be established by law, payable out of the county treasury. A county judge of any county may hold county courts in any other county when requested by the judge of such other county.
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 two County Judges and the additional County Judge shall be chosen at the next general election held after the adoption of this article. The successors of the several County Judges shall be chosen by the electors of the counties for the term of six years. County Courts shall have the powers and jurisdiction they now possess, and also original jurisdiction in actions for the recovery of money only, where the defendants reside in the county, and in which the complaint demands judgment for a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars. The Legislature may hereafter enlarge or restrict the jurisdiction of the County Courts, provided however that their jurisdiction shall not be so extended as to authorize an action therein for the recovery of money only, in which the sum demanded exceeds two thousand dollars, or in which any person not a resident of the county is a defendant.
Courts of Sessions, except in the county of New York, are abolished from and after the last day of December, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five. All the jurisdiction of the Court of Sessions in each county, except the county of New York, shall thereupon be vested in the County Court thereof, and all actions and proceedings then pending in such Courts of Sessions shall be transferred to said County Courts for hearing and determination. Every County Judge shall perform such duties as may be required by law. His salary shall be established by law, payable out of the county treasury. A County Judge of any county may hold County Courts in any other county when requested by the Judge of such other county.
County courts
The existing county courts are continued, and the judges thereof in office at the adoption of this article, shall hold their offices until the expiration of their respective terms. Their successors shall be chosen by the electors of the counties for the term of six years. The county courts shall have the powers and jurisdiction they now possess, until altered by the Legislature. They shall also have original jurisdiction in all cases where the defendants reside in the county and in which the damages claimed shall not exceed one thousand dollars; and also such appellate jurisdiction as shall be provided by law, subject, however, to such provision as shall be made by law for the removal of causes into the supreme court. They shall also have such other original jurisdiction as shall, from time to time, be conferred on them by the Legislature. The county judge, with two justices of the peace, to be designated according to law, may hold courts of sessions, with such criminal jurisdiction as the Legislature shall prescribe, and he shall perform such other duties as may be required by law. His salary, and the salary of the surrogate when elected as a separate officer, shall be established by law, payable out of the county treasury, and shall not be diminished during his term of office. The justices of the peace shall be paid, for services in courts of sessions, a per diem allowance out of the county treasury. The county judge shall also be surrogate of his county; but in counties having a population exceeding forty thousand, the Legislature may provide for the election of a separate officer to be surrogate , whose term of office shall be the same as that of the county judge. The county judge of any county may preside at courts of sessions, or hold county courts, in other county, except New York and Kings, when requested by the judge of such other county.