(a) As of January 1, 1999, the Circuit-Chancery Judge of the Nineteenth Judicial District, who sits as judge of the juvenile division and Division Three of the circuit and chancery courts, is hereby designated as the Circuit-Chancery Judge of the Nineteenth Judicial District-East and shall sit as the judge of the circuit, chancery and probate courts and the juvenile division.
(b) At the 1998 General Election, the qualified electors of the Nineteenth Judicial District-East shall elect the circuit-chancery judge to take office on January 1, 1999.
(c) As of January 1, 1999, the Nineteenth Judicial District-West shall be served by one (1) Circuit Judge of the First Division; one (1) Circuit Judge of the Second Division; one (1) Chancery Judge of the First Division; one (1) Chancery Judge of the Second Division; and an additional circuit-chancery judge who shall perform the duties of the judge of the juvenile division and sit as judge of the circuit, chancery or probate court as time permits. The additional circuit-chancery judge shall be elected in 1998 to take office on January 1, 1999.
(d) As of the 1998 general election, the circuit, chancery, and circuit-chancery judges of the Nineteenth Judicial District-West shall hereafter be elected by qualified electors of the Nineteenth Judicial District-West. The current chancery judges shall serve the balance of their terms in the Nineteenth Judicial District-West.
(e) There shall be provided for the judge of the circuit-chancery judgeship created by this section a court reporter and a trial court administrative assistant whose salaries shall be fixed and paid in the manner provided by law for court reporters and trial court administrative assistants of the circuit and chancery courts of this state.
(f) All existing laws not in conflict herewith pertaining to the Nineteenth Judicial District shall apply to the Nineteenth Judicial District-East and the Nineteenth Judicial District-West.
(g) The judges of the Nineteenth Judicial District-East and the Nineteenth Judicial District-West may, by agreement, temporarily exchange districts or hold court for each other as they deem necessary or appropriate.
(h)
(1) Effective January 1, 2009, there is created in the Nineteenth Judicial District-West an additional circuit judgeship that shall have jurisdiction in law, equity, probate, and juvenile matters.
(2)
(A) The qualified electors of the Nineteenth Judicial District-West shall elect the additional circuit judge created by subdivision (h)(1) of this section at the 2008 preferential primary election to take office on January 1, 2009.
(B) The additional circuit judge shall be elected from the Nineteenth Judicial District-West, shall satisfy the same qualifications for holding office, and shall receive the same salary, expenses, and other allowances as provided by law for judges of the circuit courts.
(C) The circuit judge shall serve for elected terms of six (6) years.
(3) The county that composes the Nineteenth Judicial District-West shall provide courtroom and office facilities and supplies for the judge of the circuit judgeship created by subdivision (h)(1) of this section, which shall be paid out of the county treasury in the same manner as other demands against the county and out of funds appropriated by the quorum court of the county for these purposes.
(4) There shall be provided for the judge of the circuit judgeship created by subdivision (h)(1) of this section a court reporter and a trial court administrative assistant whose salaries shall be fixed and paid in the manner provided by law for court reporters and trial court administrative assistants of the circuit courts of this state.
(i) There is created in the Nineteenth Judicial District-West an additional circuit judgeship that shall have jurisdiction in law, equity, probate, and juvenile matters.