county where it is located.
The court has jurisdiction in all civil cases where the amount involved
does not exceed $500, save where exclusive jurisdiction is given to the
superior courts. Criminal cases are also tried in county courts when
the crime with which the defendant is charged is called a misdemeanor.
In some counties also there are county courts established by special
acts of the Legislature.

Many _city courts_ have been established by the Legislature. The judge
of a city court is appointed by the Governor, or elected by the people,
according to the provisions of the act establishing the court. The
term and the qualifications of the judge, and the jurisdiction of the
city court, are also fixed by the legislative act creating the court.
The term is sometimes four years and sometimes two.

The _solicitor_ of the city court is appointed by the Governor, or
elected by the people, for a term of two or four years. It is his duty
to represent the State in all criminal cases tried in that court.

There is in each county of the State a _court of ordinary_. The
presiding officer of this court is styled the _ordinary_. He is
elected by the voters of the county for a term of four years. The
jurisdiction of the court of ordinary extends throughout the county
over all matters relating to the administration of property of deceased
persons, orphans, idiots, lunatics, and insane persons. In the
ordinary is vested the power of appointing guardians of the person of
orphans and insane persons. The ordinary also has charge of county
roads and revenues where no board of county commissioners has been
established. The ordinary is clerk of his own court, and the sheriff
of the county is his executive officer.

The State is divided into twenty-six _judicial circuits_, and each
circuit has one _superior court judge_ (or mote than one if the
Legislature so provides). This judge is elected by the people for a
term of four years. To be eligible he must be thirty years of age; he
must have been a citizen of the State for three years, and must have
practiced law seven years.

The _superior courts_ have original and appellate jurisdiction.
Actions may be begun in this court, and actions may be appealed to this
court. The original jurisdiction of this court extends exclusively
over all suits for divorce, suits where titles to land are involved,
cases in equity, and criminal cases where the person is accused of a
crime the p