Attorney General.—­The Attorney General is the legal adviser of the State officers and acts as attorney for the State in all cases in which the State is a party.  He represents the State in all its legal business.  His office is one of dignity and responsibility.

Superintendent of Public Instruction.—­The Superintendent of Public Instruction has charge of the public-school system of the State.  He prepares all examination questions used by the County Superintendents of the State and prescribes rules and regulations for conducting such examinations.  It is his duty to meet with the County Superintendents from time to time to discuss questions for the general welfare of the public schools of the State.  He is an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees of the Lewiston and Albion Normal Schools, the Academy of Idaho, the State Industrial School, and the State Land Board.

Judicial Department.—­It is the special function of the Judicial Department to interpret and explain the laws.  The judicial power is vested in a court for trial of impeachments, a supreme court, district courts, probate courts, courts of justices of the peace, and municipal courts.

The court for the trial of impeachments is the State Senate, whose functions as a court of justice are outlined under the head of Legislative Department.

The Supreme Court.—­The Supreme Court is composed of three judges elected from the State at large for a term of six years.  It is so arranged that one judge goes out of office each two years, thus leaving a majority of members at all times with over two years’ experience in office.

The Supreme Court has jurisdiction both original and appellate.  Its original jurisdiction consists in issuing writs of mandamus, certiorari, prohibition, and habeas corpus.  Its appellate jurisdiction extends to practically all cases tried in the lower courts.

The Constitution requires the Supreme Court to hold annually at least four terms of court:  two at Boise, the capital, and two at Lewiston.

The compensation allowed justices of the Supreme Court is four thousand dollars per year, but they are not permitted to hold any other public office during the term for which they are elected.

The District Court.—­It is in the District Court that the great body of criminal cases are disposed of.  This court has original jurisdiction in all cases arising in the district, and its appellate jurisdiction includes all cases which may be appealed to it from the probate or justice courts.

The State of Idaho is divided into six judicial districts.  The District Court is presided over by a judge whose legal qualifications do not differ materially from those of the justices of the Supreme Court.  Two terms of court must be held in each county of the district annually, and special sessions may be held at the option of the judge.  The judge must live in the district for which he is elected, but may try cases in any county of the State at the request of the judge of the District Court thereof who may be disqualified because of his personal or pecuniary interest in the case.  The salary paid the judge of the District Court is three thousand dollars per year.