§ 11. Police court; presiding officer; powers and duties; compensation.

That there is hereby created a police court in the City of Columbus presided over by a police justice. The police justice shall be appointed by the mayor and city council and his tenure of office shall be subject to the provisions of the Charter of said city applicable to all appointive officers. He shall be a qualified elector of said city, and shall be an attorney at law and shall hold his courts in the municipal building or at such other convenient locality as may be provided by the mayor and city council. He shall hold his courts every day except Sunday and legal holidays, or as often as the interests of said city may require. He shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine, without a jury, all alleged violations of the ordinances of said city, whether such offenses be also punishable as an offense against the state or not; and to fix and adjudge the punishment of all persons by him found guilty of such violations of the city ordinances by fine or imprisonment, or both such fine and imprisonment within the limits fixed by the ordinances of said city, and to cause all orders, judgements and sentences of said court to be executed by either by any police officer of the city or by the sheriff or any deputy sheriff or constable of the County of Lowndes; he may issue all process which may be necessary to procure the attendance of parties, witnesses or others, and cause the same to be executed by any of the officers aforesaid; he may administer oaths and take all necessary bonds or recognizances in such sums as is provided by the statutes of the State of Mississippi, with such sureties as he may deem necessary to insure the appearance of parties and witnesses and may proceed on such or recognizance in case of forfeiture as in like cases before justices of the peace, the proceeds of such forfeiture to be paid into the city treasury for the use of said city; he shall also be an ex officio justice of the peace in all cases arising within the corporate limits of the city and shall discharge his duties as such; he shall have power to punish by fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00) or thirty (30) days in jail or by both such fine and imprisonment for violations of the ordinances of said city; he shall have power to punish by fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) or by imprisonment not exceeding three (3) days, any person who shall be found guilty of contempt of said court; said court shall be vested with all such powers as are incident to courts of like character or necessary to carry out the full purposes and objects of this act; the police justice shall receive a salary to be paid by the city, of not less than seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per month, nor more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per month; all fees inuring to said court in cases tried as a justice of the peace shall be paid into the general fund of the city. In event of a vacancy in the office of judge of the police court by resignation, removal from the city, death, or other cause, the mayor of said city shall forthwith assume the duties and exercise the powers and functions of said court until a police judge is appointed by said mayor and city council.

(Amendment No. 25, 2-4-47)