results of the decennial U.S. Census. A Constitutional amendment, the plan created 47 legislative districts, many of which cross county boundaries to delineate districts relatively equal in population. Each legislative district elects one senator and three delegates. Some of the larger districts are divided into delegate subdistricts to provide local representation to areas not large enough to constitute an entire legislative district. The Senate is led by a President and the House by a Speaker whose respective duties and prerogatives enable them to influence the legislative process significantly. The President and the Speaker appoint the members of most committees and name their chairs and vice-chairs, except in the case of the Joint Committee on Investigation whose members elect their own officers. The President and Speaker preside over the daily sessions of their respective chambers, maintaining decorum and deciding points of order. As legislation is introduced, they assign it to a standing committee for consideration and a public hearing. Judicial branch Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court in the state. In addition to being the court of last resort for the state, the Supreme Court also administers and sets rules and guidelines for the state's court system. It has original jurisdiction in only a few areas and hears most cases on appeal. Prior to 2022, the Supreme Court was named the Court of Appeals, but a 2022 constitutional amendment changed the title to its current name. The court has seven judges, one from each of the state's seven appellate judicial circuits, which are presently as follows: 1st Appellate Judicial Circuit: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico & Worcester counties 2nd Appellate Judicial Circuit: Baltimore County & Harford County 3rd Appellate Judicial Circuit: Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard & Washington counties 4th Appellate Judicial Circuit: Prince George's County 5th Appellate Judicial Circuit: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles & St. Mary's counties 6th Appellate Judicial Circuit: Baltimore City 7th Appellate Judicial Circuit: Montgomery County Appellate Court To ease the caseload of the Supreme Court, the state's second-highest court, the Appellate Court was created in 1966, following a constitutional amendment. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Appellate Court has exclusive initial appellate jurisdiction over any reviewable judgment, decree, order, or other action of a circuit court or an orphans' court, except for appeals in criminal cases in which the death penalty is imposed. Generally, it hears