Judge orders state to give pay hike to judges

AP via SFGate ^ | 6/11/8 | SAMUEL MAULL, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

New York (AP) -- A judge has ordered New York's governor, Senate and Assembly to raise the pay of the state's judges within the next 90 days.

State Supreme Court Justice Edward Lehner in Manhattan said Wednesday that the defendants unconstitutionally abused their power by depriving judges of a pay hike for almost 10 years. He said state legislators illegally linked a judicial salary increase to one for themselves.

Lehner, who acknowledged he would be affected by his own decision, ordered the state to raise judicial pay to reflect cost of living increases since 1998.

[SmithL]

It is GOOD to be King.

Just ask any Judge.

[rabscuttle385]

Lehner, who acknowledged he would be affected by his own decision, ordered the state to raise judicial pay to reflect cost of living increases since 1998.

Talk about conflict of interest! Lehner just abused his power for personal gain.

[samtheman]

Is it revolution time yet?

[KoRn]

May be of interest.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Tell the judge to stick it - he should have recused himself for the blatant conflict of interest.

[Always Right]

I just ordered my boss to give me a raise, but my wife said no.

[goldstategop]

Judges can order elected officials around. TO DO ANYTHING THEY WANT. So much for checks and balances and the constitutional separation of powers. We live today in a kaikistocracy.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[jude24]

Not necessarily. He did acknowledge the conflict of interest. The problem is, there is not a judge that could rule on the issue.

Here's the problem. Starting first-year associates at the big law firms make double or triple what a judge makes now. What does that do to the profession when a kid fresh out of law school makes more than the person who decides his case?

[Tzimisce]

It must be good to raise your own salary.

[rottndog]

We are not that far removed from seeing black robes swinging under trees.....

[y6162]

“...unconstitutionally abused their power...”

NY judges have a constitutional right to a raise?

If I was a legislator, I wouldn’t bother appealing to the Supreme Court. She started the law suit.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Is that the same argument NFL referees should use to rationalize higher salaries because a rookie QB might make $20 million a year and they only pull down $100 grand?

The judge is always free to seek an income source he is more comfortable with.

[KarlInOhio]

He said state legislators illegally linked a judicial salary increase to one for themselves.

The article didn't have any background information on this. Did he site the NY state constitution and law, or did he just make it up on the spot?

[Mr. Lucky]

If the judge is unhappy with his pay, he could find another line of work.

[KarlInOhio]

The judge is always free to seek an income source he is more comfortable with.

If you don't pay judges enough you get incompetent boobs who just make things up as they go along. For example this judge.

[jude24]

Problem is, we need judges - and if good attorneys are constantly lured away by higher salaries in public practice, who will be the judges?

[pgkdan]

If NY doesn’t impeach this buffoon then they deserve what they get.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Then legislatures need to remove the incompetent boobs from their positions.

[Boston Blackie]

This payroll patriot of a judge could return to the dreaded private sector if he so desired.

[stevio]

It is waaaaay past time.

[Mr. Lucky]

That’s a policy call for the legislature to make.

[chesley]

If you don't pay judges enough you get incompetent boobs who just make things up as they go along. For example this judge.

How is that different from now, or 50 years ago, for that matter?

[never4get]

He should retire and become a teacher in NY....our $100K plus teachers with full benefits and 80% pensions are loving it. The dear Judge may enjoy that pay and job more.

[Dante3]

In Arizona a judge ordered the schools to pass students who did not pass and dictated the school budget.

Judicial tyranny is running amok, and yet some politicians reportedly babble about "bringing Democracy" to Iraq or wherever.

[isrul]

Lehner should be politely led to the gallows. This POS ordering a pay raise for himself.

[isrul]

Impeach at the very least.

[isrul]

No judge should rule on the issue. It's a legislative matter.

[Boston Blackie]

The teachers are worth every penny ..... and that is why NY has the best school system in the country. </sarc>

[isrul]

A beautiful sight.

[massgopguy]

Send the National Guard in to surround his court house and drag his ass to the State House. He needs a lesson from We The People.

[never4get]

The teachers are worth every penny ..... and that is why NY has the best school system in the country.

...The teachers are so good that my school taxes are not enough to pay my them what they deserve. I am paying tutors, both teachers in the district working after hours, to help both my kids. Seventy Five percent of my $11K a year property tax on my $450K house are school taxes. The residents of my fine little town pay $15K a yr per student for education here in West Islip, NY. Wahoo!!!! I forgot though, we have the premiere sports program on Long Island with the LAX team being #1 in the nation last year and #2 in the nation this year. My daughters can put that on their applications for college???? I guess I could leave but my Italian/Irish wife has her family here and she would make my tax problem seem small if one day she woke up living in a cornfield in Iowa.

[traviskicks]

Libertarian ping! To be added or removed freepmail me or post a message here.

[ElectricStrawberry]

...then don’t go into public service as a judge.

I respect the right of the People, through elected representatives, to set the salaries for judges.

[devnull]

I guess I could leave but my Italian/Irish wife has her family here and she would make my tax problem seem small if one day she woke up living in a cornfield in Iowa.

Irish Italian ... I feel your pain brother.

[isrul]

I'm down with that.

[Almondjoy]

Uh the higher calling?

I realize by your comment you aren’t one of them but there are people in this world believe it or not that are not in it just for the money.

[jude24]

I realize by your comment you aren’t one of them but there are people in this world believe it or not that are not in it just for the money.

Don't assume. You don't know what I do.

[jude24]

I respect the right of the People, through elected representatives, to set the salaries for judges.

I do agree, but the problem is that NY's legislature is and has been dysfunctional for quite some time.

[Jacquerie]

What do you do?

[editor-surveyor]

Now all he has to do is order the Governor to sign the bill.

Then we will have all three branches of government wrapped up in one black collar criminal.

[zeugma]

Here's the problem. Starting first-year associates at the big law firms make double or triple what a judge makes now. What does that do to the profession when a kid fresh out of law school makes more than the person who decides his case?

Perhaps we should find all the people holding guns to these judges heads, forcing them to remain on the bench.

[Enchante]

"who will be the judges?"

I have the solution......

Let FReepers be the judges!!! :^)

I'm sure there are plenty of us who would be willing to serve for the present salary levels, and we (most of us) would be a damned sight better than all the liberal socialist monstrosities who preside right now.

[Enchante]

On a more serious note (Maybe) this is a legislative issue.

It may well be that higher salaries would attract and keep better judges, but that is exactly the kind of public policy issue that legislatures exist to decide.

[dcwusmc]

Why do we need LAWYERS as judges. Seems to be a built-in bias right there. I have enough sense to make a good judge... and TOO MUCH good sense to become a lawyer.

[traviskicks]

its the new aristocracy in the united states, not nobility like in times of old, but lawyers, doctors and other professionals who have more rights given to them by government than the rest of ‘the masses’, we the people. imo

[dcwusmc]

It’s hard to find fault with your post... the aristocracy of “pull”... lawyers got it and we don’t. I am so thinking how needful it’s getting to be to hit the Constitutional reset button... And NOW, before my sons and granddaughters have it to do.

[Almondjoy]

You said all you needed to say in your statement. Maybe if you don’t want to be so obvious you’ll need to work on less obvious ways to say things.

[justiceseeker93]

Never in my life in the United States have I heard of a suit by state judges against a state legislature asking for increased pay. It’s preposterous that any judge who would be enriched by a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs should be hearing and ruling on the case. There’s no more flagrant example of judicial conflict of interest than this!

[kempo]

Do we have to ask what party this clown belongs to?