Legal News

Lawmaker nixes judges' bid to boost perks

By Jonathan Hayter

California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg on Friday shelved a plan to sweeten judges' benefits as part of an upcoming budget deal after livid labor groups and social service advocates complained.

Critics argued that the extra perks, which would eventually total 20 percent of a judge's base salary, were inappropriate at a time when state leaders are contemplating worker furloughs and multibillion-dollar cuts to schools and aid to the poor, aged and disabled.

It was unclear whether the Administrative Office of the Courts or leaders of Los Angeles County Superior Court would pursue separate legislation allowing counties to offer extra judicial benefits ? a practice that the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled illegal in October. The L.A. court has retained lobbyist and former Assemblyman Burt Margolin to persuade the Legislature that the county should retain its ability to pay local judges an extra $46,000 in annual benefits.

The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a preliminary injunction on Friday to stop Los Angeles County from paying those benefits.

Full story on CalLaw.com.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on February 03, 2009 (boomark / email).