§ 181. Police justice. There shall be one justice of the court to be
known as the police justice. Said office shall be filled by election by
the electors of the city at the city election. The term of the police
justice shall be six years and he shall receive an annual salary, to be
fixed by the board of estimate and apportionment, provided, however,
that if the city does not have or is not authorized by law to have more
than one officer possessing the jurisdiction of a court of special
sessions, such salary shall be fixed at not less than thirty-five
hundred dollars per annum. If a police justice in any city shall have
served as such for more than twelve consecutive years, the board of
estimate and apportionment may, notwithstanding the provisions of
section seventy-four of this chapter, increase the salary of such
justice, from time to time, during his term of office, to take effect at
the time of any such increase or from the first day of January of the
current calendar year, as the board may determine. No person shall be
eligible for election to the office of police justice unless he be an
elector and has been an attorney of the supreme court of the state for
five years. In case of the absence or disability of the police justice
or of a vacancy in the office, any city judge or judge of the municipal
court shall perform the duties of the office until the police justice
returns, his disability ceases or the vacancy is filled. In the city of
Albany, in the case of the absence, disability or unavailability of the
police justice or of a vacancy in the office, the recorder of the city
or any justice of the city court of Albany shall perform the duties of
the office of police justice until such justice returns, his disability
ceases or the vacancy is filled.