478.268. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 478.265, in thethirty-first judicial circuit, the circuit court en banc may appoint oneperson, who shall possess the same qualifications as a circuit judge, toact as commissioner of the probate division of the circuit court. Thecommissioner shall be appointed for a term of four years. The compensationand retirement benefits of the commissioner shall be the same as that of anassociate circuit judge, payable in the same manner and from the samesource as that of the associate circuit judge. Subject to approval orrejection by the judge of the probate division, the commissioner shall haveall the powers and duties of a circuit judge. The judge shall by order ofrecord reject or confirm all orders, judgments and decrees of thecommissioner within the time the judge could set aside such orders,judgments or decrees had the same been made by such judge. If soconfirmed, the orders, judgments and decrees shall have the same effect asif made by the judge on the date of their confirmation.
(L. 1996 S.B. 869, A.L. 1997 H.B. 59, A.L. 1999 S.B. 1, et al.)