The General Assembly will soon have to decide whether to give Maryland judges $29,000 raises each.
For the past two years, the Judicial Compensation Commission (JCC) unsuccessfully tried to raise individual salaries by $39,858 while other state employees got pay cuts through furloughs. Now they are pushing a more moderate proposal that would still put Maryland among the top five states in judicial pay.
Maryland hasn't exactly cheated its judges, who now rank about 15th nationally in pay. So the JCC complains that they lag regionally, as if that somehow mattered. States don't compete with each other for judges.
I don't oppose all judicial raises. But I find the justifications amusing, misleading and wanting it both ways.
District Court Chief Judge Ben Clyburn says he might retire because his salary of $149,552 demoralizes him. But Court of Appeals Judge Clayton Greene claims he can't afford to retire on his salary of $162,353. Which is it: driven to retirement (with a $99,751 pension for Clyburn) or unable to retire (with a $108,289 pension for Greene)?
Clyburn believes that failing to raise salaries "chip[s] away at the independence of the third branch of government." But Judge Katie O'Malley can make a political speech about a gay marriage bill pushed by her Chief Executive husband and call legislators "cowards."
The judges say they need higher pay to attract more lawyers from private practice, those who have the "well-rounded, diverse experience needed to be a good judge" (as paraphrased by www.marylandreporter.com.) Clyburn had only public law experience before becoming a judge, all of it in the Attorney General's Office. And top judge Robert Bell had been a lawyer for only six years before his first judicial appointment. Were they--are they now--unqualified for their jobs?
The argument that we need to increase pay to attract lawyers in private practice is so tiresome. Plenty of very qualified lawyers are attracted to the judiciary for a number of reasons. It's the application and nominating process that's so obnoxious and political.
And what's usually left out of the "attractiveness" argument are the pensions and very generous benefits. Judges work fewer hours, with nearly 7 weeks off, and get 12 state holidays and unlimited sick leave. Private attorneys who are billing by the hour can't afford that.
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8 comments:
There is absolutely no reason for judges to make that much money... the people in the legal profession are simply paid way too much to simply push papers around... Dr's yes they deserve what they make as they heal people and peoples lives in their hands..... judges are simply lawyers that have gone as far as they can in their field
To 12:19
I could not agree with you more. That amount of money is absurd.
Our State is in a total state of confusion.
No raises for judges.
Anytime there's an opening for a judicial appointment there is never a lack of a menagerie of lawyers looking to get appointed.
If they can't make it on their retirement then they can practice again.
Why not? The teacher's pension is certainly funded and a couple of bucks from them would not hurt much.
It doesn't matter what the qualifications are...judges are POLITICAL APPOINTEES...they are appointed only to attract voters to the governor's political party.
I would venture to say that most of the current and previous judges had little to no experience in a court of law.
Like the rest of the ruling elites, these judges have NO idea what the regular citizens must do to live everyday...$100,000 is not enough to retire on?? Maybe, just maybe, one of the wordly "twenty-something" smarter-than-you investor types who like to lecture the rest of us on how THEY have paid for their home, paid off their cars, live on cash only and have TONS of money (at age 28 (because they WORKED so hard and planned so well, lol) could give THEM (the judges) soem tips on how to retire in ease and luxury.
Judges don't do there job right they don't read half the stuff that comes in the office/ They are predjudice and choose to only see what they want. Siding with the state for everything. This is in Maryland wicomico somerset worchester counties mostly. They need prayer.
Here's a plan that will should not only the judges happy but also the tax payers----Make the position part time as it is in some areas. Then allow them to practice law in counties other than where they sit as a judge.
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