Delaware Increase Length of Terms for Reappointed Justices of the Peace Amendment (2013)
| Delaware Increase Length of Terms for Reappointed Justices of the Peace Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ratification date March 26, 2013 | |
| Topic State judicial selection | |
| Sponsor State Sen. Patricia Blevins (D-7) |
The Delaware Increase Length of Terms for Reappointed Justices of the Peace Amendment was approved by the Delaware General Assembly and added to the Delaware Constitution on March 26, 2013.
The amendment changed the term lengths for Justices of the Peace.
Overview
What did this constitutional amendment do?
- See also: Text of measure
The amendment changed the term lengths for Justice of the Peace, allowing them to serve longer terms after completing their first four-year term.[1] Under the amendment, if a Justice of the Peace completes their term and is reappointed and reconfirmed, their second and third terms last for six years instead of four. If the same Justice of the Peace is reappointed and reconfirmed for more than three terms, their fourth and subsequent terms each last for eight years.
Who supported this constitutional amendment?
State Sen. Patricia Blevins (D-7) introduced the constitutional amendment to the Delaware General Assembly for their consideration. The legislature approved both versions of the amendment with a Bipartisan Partisan Directional Index.
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Delaware Constitution
The amendment replaced Section 29 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution. The following underlined text was added:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
Section 29. There shall be appointed, as hereinafter provided, such number of persons to the Office of the Justice of the Peace as directed by law, who shall be commissioned as follows:
- (a) Upon first appointment and confirmation, a Justice of the Peace shall be commissioned for four (4) years:
- (b) Upon second or third appointment and confirmation, a Justice of the Peace shall be commissioned for six (6) years:
- (c) Upon fourth or subsequent appointments and confirmation, a Justice of the Peace shall be commissioned for eight (8) years.[2]
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Amending the Delaware Constitution
The Delaware General Assembly has the sole and complete authority to amend the state constitution. Unlike in any other state, the state legislature can amend the constitution without a vote of the people. For the legislature to amend the constitution:
- two-thirds of all the members elected to each chamber must vote in favor of a proposed amendment;
- the Delaware Secretary of State must then publish the proposed amendment three months prior to the next general election in at least three newspapers in each county; and
- the subsequent General Assembly then votes again on the proposed amendment(s) and if an amendment receives two-thirds majority approval of all members of each chamber, it becomes part of the constitution.
The amendment in the Delaware General Assembly
Senate Bill 5 (2013)
State Sen. Patricia Blevins (D-7) introduced the amendment to the state legislature on January 15, 2013. The state Senate passed the amendment on March 12 in a vote of 17-0, with four senators not voting. On March 26, the state House passed the amendment in a vote of 37-0, with four representatives not voting.[3]
| Votes Required to Pass: 14 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 17 | 0 | 4 |
| Total % | 81.0% | 0.0% | 19.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Votes Required to Pass: 28 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 37 | 0 | 4 |
| Total % | 90.2% | 0.0% | 9.8% |
| Democratic (D) | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| Republican (R) | 12 | 0 | 2 |
Senate Bill 37 (2011)
On March 29, 2011, state Sen. Patricia Blevins (D-7) introduced the amendment to the state legislature as Senate Bill 37. On May 31, the state Senate passed the amendment in a vote of 19-1, with one senator not voting. On June 23, the state House passed the amendment in a vote of 41-0.[4]
| Votes Required to Pass: 14 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| Total % | 90.5% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Democratic (D) | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Votes Required to Pass: 28 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| Total % | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 15 | 0 | 0 |
See also
- The Delaware Constitution
- Amending the Delaware Constitution
- State constitutional conventions
- Other constitutional amendments concerning State judicial selection
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Delaware State Legislature, "Senate Bill 5 Text," accessed October 22, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
- ↑ Delaware General Assembly, "Senate Bill 5," accessed October 22, 2025
- ↑ Delaware General Assembly, "Senate Bill 37," accessed October 22, 2025
