In 1994, 1996, and quadrennially thereafter, two-thirds of the total number of justices of the peace in each town shall be selected in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such percentage shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number of justices of the peace. The political parties which are major parties, as defined in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (5) of section 9-372, shall each be entitled to nominate an equal number of the total number of justices of the peace to be selected in each town under this section, provided in towns where the number of justices of the peace to be nominated under this section is not divisible by the number of political parties entitled to nominate justices of the peace under this section, the registrars of voters shall determine by lot which of said parties may nominate one more justice of the peace than may be nominated by the other party or parties. Such nomination by such parties shall qualify the nominees to serve as justices of the peace. Such nomination shall be made within the time limits prescribed in section 9-391 for endorsing candidates for nomination for municipal offices to be voted upon at a state election, for a term of two years to begin the first Monday of January in 1995, for any such nomination made in 1994, and for a term of four years to begin the first Monday of January in the year succeeding any such nomination made in 1996, or thereafter. Primaries for justices of the peace shall be by slate and shall be held on the same day as primaries for municipal offices to be voted upon at a state election.

(1949 Rev., 1201; March, 1950, S. 261b; 1953, S. 729d; 1957, P.A. 128, S. 1; P.A. 74-11, S. 3, 4; 74-109, S. 6, 11; P.A. 76-71, S. 1, 3; P.A. 94-230, S. 2, 10; P.A. 00-66, S. 20; P.A. 03-241, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 74-11 deleted provisions pertaining to block voting for justices of the peace, grouped according to political party and the prohibitions against write-in and split-ticket voting and also deleted provision for political party whose candidate for governor was last elected, to nominate one more candidate, added provisions for nomination of one-half numbers of justices of the peace to be elected where total to be elected is even and the nomination of a bare majority where total number is odd; P.A. 74-109 added qualification that political parties having largest and second largest total number of enrolled party members in the state shall be entitled to nominate justices of the peace, further provided for each party to be entitled to nominate half in towns where the total number to be nominated is even and for the registrars to determine by lot which party is entitled to nominate one more justice than the other party, where total number to be nominated is odd, further set limit of age 70 beyond which no person may be nominated or serve, provided that such nominations by the parties qualify the nominees to serve, that the term be for four years to begin the first Monday of January and that primaries shall be by slate and held same day as primaries for municipal offices, to take effect upon adoption of Senate Joint Resolution No. 22 of the 1973 session as an amendment to the constitution of Connecticut; P.A. 76-71 removed the age limitations; P.A. 94-230 required two-thirds of justices of the peace in each town to be selected in accordance with this section, authorized major parties as defined in Sec. 9-372(6)(B) to select equal number of justices of the peace under this section instead of the two parties having the largest party enrollments to each select one-half of number of justices of the peace, and established two-year terms for justices of the peace nominated in 1994, and four-year terms for justices of the peace nominated in 1996, or thereafter, effective June 11, 1994; Sec. 9-252 transferred to Sec. 9-183b in 1995; P.A. 00-66 made a technical change; P.A. 03-241 required nomination of justices of the peace to be made within time limits prescribed “in section 9-391 for endorsing candidates for nomination for municipal offices to be voted upon at a state election”, instead of within the time limits prescribed “for municipal offices prior to a state election”, eliminated provision requiring primaries for justices of the peace to be by slate “as in the case of convention delegates”, and required such primaries to be held on same day as primaries for municipal offices “to be voted upon at a state election”, effective January 1, 2004, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date.

Annotation to former section 9-252:

Cited. 20 CS 402.