27-05-00.1. County courts abolished - Election of additional district court judges - Case file transition - Budget and property considerations

27-05-00.1. County courts abolished - Election of additional district court judges - Case file transition - Budget and property considerations. 1. Following the completion on January 1, 1995, of the terms of the judges of all county courts, the county court and office of judge of the county court in each county are abolished. 2. District court judgeships are established on January 2, 1995, in number equal to the number of county judges serving the county courts on January 1, 1991, or the number of county judges serving the county courts on January 1, 1994, whichever is the lesser number. The district court judgeships established pursuant to this subsection must be filled by election at the general election in 1994. All statutes relating to the district court apply to the district court judgeships established pursuant to this subsection, except as otherwise provided by this section. 3. The supreme court shall designate by rule, prior to January 1, 1994, the judicial district for each additional district court judgeship established pursuant to subsection 2. The judicial district designated by the supreme court for each district court judgeship established pursuant to subsection 2 is the area of election for that office at the general election in 1994. The supreme court shall designate, prior to January 1, 1994, staggered terms for each district court judgeship established pursuant to subsection 2 in a manner that results in approximately one-third of those offices with initial terms of two years, one-third with initial terms of four years, and one-third with initial terms of six years. Any judge elected pursuant to subsection 2 shall take office on January 2, 1995, and shall hold office until completion of the designated initial term or until a successor is elected and has qualified. Subsequent to these initial terms, a judge elected to a judgeship established by subsection 2 shall hold office for the term provided in section 27-05-02. 4. All case files, untried cases, or any other unfinished business of each county court abolished pursuant to subsection 1 must be considered case files, untried cases, and other unfinished business of the district court of the judicial district in which that county is located. 5. Beginning in 1992, the budget for the district courts submitted to the legislative assembly pursuant to section 27-01-01.1 and to the director of the budget for informational purposes pursuant to section 54-44.1-13 must include all salaries and expenses for the district court judgeships established pursuant to subsection 2. Any equipment, furnishings, and law libraries in the control and custody of the county courts on January 1, 1991, and any property acquired by county courts from that date until January 1, 1995, must be transferred on January 2, 1995, to the custody and control of the district court of the county in which each county court is located until the state court administrator determines that these items are no longer needed by the district court. Upon that determination, custody and control of the property must revert to the county.