Judges are commissioned by the Governor of the State. Their salaries and allowances are prescribed by law and cannot be diminished during their term of office. Their term of office begins on the first day of February succeeding their election by the General Assembly. Whenever there is a judgeship vacancy, the successor is elected for the unexpired term. The General Assembly also has the authority to retire judges and to provide their compensation. The General Assembly has the power to pass laws giving duties to retired judges such as substitute judge work. The salaries of judges are paid out of the State treasury but the State is reimbursed for one-half of the salaries of each of the circuit judges by the counties and cities composing the circuit, based upon their population and of each of the judges of a city of the first class by the city in which each judge presides. The one exception is the judge of the Circuit Court of the city of Richmond whose entire salary is paid by the State. A city may increase the salary of its circuit or city judges if the city assumes the entire increase and guarantees that such salary will not be diminished during the entire term of office. A city which has less than ten thousand inhabitants pays the salary of its city judge. Judges may be removed from office in Virginia for cause by a concurrent vote of both houses of the General Assembly. A majority of all the members elected to each house must concur in such vote, and the cause of removal must be entered on the journal of each house. The judge against whom the General Assembly is about to proceed for removal must have notice of same accompanied by a copy of the alleged causes at least twenty days before the actual voting takes place. Typically, no judge can practice law within or without the State of Virginia nor hold any other office of public trust while he is in office. Writs (court orders) must be issued in the name of the "Commonwealth of Virginia" and must be certified by the clerks of the various courts. The Constitution requires that indictments (a formal charge of crime presented by a grand jury) conclude "against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth." The General Assembly provides for the appointment or the election of justices of the peace and establishes their jurisdiction. Authority of justices of the peace includes civil suits which involve limited amounts. In addition, Virginia also has police justices, trial justices, civil justices, civil and police justices, juvenile and domestic relations courts and mayor's courts. Their jurisdiction is usually limited, however, and appeals from them are heard by city and circuit courts. All cities and counties and many towns have local courts called Magistrate Courts or Justice of the Peace Courts. Their jurisdiction includes misdemeanors and civil cases involving small amounts of money.