Any district attorney or other like prosecuting officer by whatever name designated of this state who has served continuously for as much as 12 years and who has become permanently and totally disabled, proof of such disability being made by certificate of three reputable physicians, or who has served continuously for as much as 25 years, and any person holding office as a judge of a county law and equity court on January 1, 1960, who has served continuously as a district attorney or other like prosecuting officer by whatever name designated for 20 years or more, may elect to become a supernumerary district attorney of the State of Alabama by filing, while in service as such prosecuting officer or judge, a written declaration to that effect with the Governor, which written declaration shall set forth one of the foregoing conditions under which a person may elect to become a supernumerary district attorney; and, in case of permanent and total disability, such declaration shall have attached thereto the certificate of disability signed by three reputable physicians as above required; whereupon, if the matters set forth in such declaration are true, and other requirements above required are complied with, the Governor shall issue to such declarant a commission as supernumerary district attorney of the State of Alabama.

For the purposes of this section, service in the armed forces of the United States shall not be deemed to interrupt continuous service as such district attorney.