Letter To The Editor:
"As many other State of Maryland employees become victims of the O’Malley furlough and salary reduction scheme and officials report that the State’s revenue deficit is going to be much greater than anticipated just three months ago, Maryland’s judges may be in for a double digit pay raise. Recently, the State’s “Judicial Compensation Commission” recommended increasing judicial salaries by about $40,000 over a 4-year period.
When fully phased-in, the annual salary of the lowest level of the judiciary (District Court) would be $167,000 and the highest member (Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals) would receive $220,210. In the past several years, Maryland judges have received regular salary increases each year – in 2005, the comparable salary range was $114,502 to $155,852. At present the range is $127,252 to $181,352. Besides a liberal retirement plan and health insurance program, Maryland judges receive 5 weeks paid vacation in addition to 11 paid holidays, 15 days sick leave and up to 6 paid personal days.
If approved by the General Assembly, O’Malley’s wife would soon get more pay from the State of Maryland as a District Court judge that he now receives as the Governor -- $150,000, if that does become any (or much) greater. The Governor appoints the Commission's seven members. Two are nominated by the Senate President, two by the House Speaker, and one by the Maryland State Bar Association.
Tell your state legislators what you think of this proposed pay raise – go here for e-mail and other addresses to reach them:" http://mlis.state.md.us/mgaweb/mail32.aspx
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
12 comments:
And the seperation between the social classes widens again.
I'm all for it. If we want competent judges, they'll need some kind of incentive. Without that, future lawyers will remain in their high paying firm jobs, and we'll get stuck with only those who are power-hungry.
3:38, you have to be kidding or you must be a judge wantabe. They make enough now, if they want to make more go back to private practice if that is where the money is.
3:38, you might also say the same thing about prosecutors. Where does it all end, the state is broke now and cannot afford pay raises for anyone.
If this is true , it may be a good idea for the governor amd his wife
to get body guards!!!!!!!!!
3:38pm your an idiot!!!
Maryland's court oligarchy is absurd. The state law prevents the General Assembly from lowering the judge's salary, so any pay raise is "for life".
Well then the judges should be handing down jail terms worth every bit of their salary. Maybe the judges should get a pay raise or earn commission (lol) when they put a criminal in jail for at least the minimum time allowed to be given for the crime committed. Because around these parts the criminal's don't even serve the minimum time. They usually get TIME SERVED even if they are only in jail until their court date and the crime they committed, could impose a jail sentence of 18 months.
I like how everyone who criticized my comment failed to make any actual arguments to support their disapproval. Instead, they took the low road and made personal attacks. Nice.
As I stated before, judges take drastic pay cuts from their firm jobs to become judges. In the future, the gap will only extend. Consequently, we need to increase the salary somewhat to lessen that gap. Otherwise, we won't have the right people running.
P.S. It takes seven years of intensive higher education and large educational debts($80K and up) to become a lawyer. So, please spare the argument that judges and other lawyers are overpaid.
-3:38
3:38-
At the present pay level there is no shortage of applicants for the judgeship positions -- just look at the list for the District Court position in Somerset County, which is available on the Internet at http://www.courts.state.md.us/judgeselect/
judicialvacancy.html
How many of those 5 persons do you think are earning more than 5 figures? And as a judge they will not have any of the burden of running an office or being an at-risk employer.
When you look at the list of the applicants, notice that in the Western Shore areas where lawyers earn much more than elsewhere, there are usually 10 or more applicants for each vacancy.
Maryland is already near the top nationally in the pay level for state and county judges. If other jobs are having those furloughs and pay cuts, why should they be given any special treatment or new pay raises?
TO: MR. or MS. 3:38
Your Honor:
Please spare us that stale rhetoric about why judges should be overpaid.
Maryland should have regular elections to select the judges like a lot of the other states do, and like the way the State's Attorney is selected.
If the Maryland Bar Association can have someone on that Commission, then there should be a rep. from the National Taxpayers Union too.
Post a Comment