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Roberts blasts inadequate pay for judges
Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | December 31, 2006 | PETE YOST

Posted on 01/01/2007 7:26:14 AM PST by indcons

Pay for federal judges is so inadequate that it threatens to undermine the judiciary's independence, Chief Justice John Roberts says in a year-end report critical of Congress.

Issuing an eight-page message devoted exclusively to salaries, Roberts says the 678 full-time U.S. District Court judges, the backbone of the federal judiciary, are paid about half that of deans and senior law professors at top schools.

In the 1950s, 65 percent of U.S. District Court judges came from the practicing bar and 35 percent came from the public sector. Today the situation is reversed, Roberts said, with 60 percent from the public sector and less than 40 percent from private practice.

Federal district court judges are paid $165,200 annually; appeals court judges make $175,100; associate justices of the Supreme Court earn $203,000; the chief justice gets $212,100.

Thirty-eight judges have left the federal bench in the past six years and 17 in the past two years.

The issue of pay, says Roberts, "has now reached the level of a constitutional crisis."

"Inadequate compensation directly threatens the viability of life tenure, and if tenure in office is made uncertain, the strength and independence judges need to uphold the rule of law - even when it is unpopular to do so - will be seriously eroded," Roberts wrote.

(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: congress; govwatch; johnroberts; judgespay; judiciary; scotus; supremecourt
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To: indcons
The issue of pay, says Roberts, "has now reached the level of a constitutional crisis."

Perhaps they should consider stacking the courts with illegal aliens - they could pay them $8/hour under-the-table.

/sarcasm...

361 posted on 01/01/2007 1:16:09 PM PST by meyer (Bring back the Contract with America and you'll bring back the Republican majority.)
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To: The Old Hoosier
May I ask why you did such a horrendous thing? I know there are some great people there but you could have just visited. :)
362 posted on 01/01/2007 1:22:11 PM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: Earthdweller

It's our system..don't like it change it.

That's not a response. You mocked the idea that taxes are paid under threat of deadly force.


363 posted on 01/01/2007 1:23:33 PM PST by freedomfiter2
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To: freedomfiter2
"You mocked the idea that taxes are paid under threat of deadly force."

I haven't seen any IRS Gestapo with guns lately so I guess I don't have a real handle on what your point is.

We live we die and hopeful vote to pay the minimum tax. I prefer that to a socialist state.

364 posted on 01/01/2007 1:27:59 PM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: doc30
If goverment salaries are in the bottom quartile, then goverment employees will be dredged from the bottom quartile. Do we really want the lowest performers to be responsible for running the country?

Having just finished 5 1/2 years working for the government, I can safely say that when it comes to government jobs, pay has little influence in whether employees are "dredged from the bottom quartile" or from higher-up on the capabilities chart. In fact, while our pay was at or above the industry norm for our type of work, the apparent level of intelligence and performance was below average. Indeed, political prowess supersedes intellectual capacity and work ethic in the public work sector.

In many cases, we already have many of the lowest performers in positions of responsibility within our government. And if someone arrives with ambition, they will quickly be beaten down until they reach the level necessary to prevent thinking for their self or acting outside of the plethora of constantly-changing "procedures".

365 posted on 01/01/2007 1:30:04 PM PST by meyer (Bring back the Contract with America and you'll bring back the Republican majority.)
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To: indcons
Inadequate Performance = Inadequate Pay

Nice balance, I would say.

366 posted on 01/01/2007 1:32:16 PM PST by Czar ( StillFedUptotheTeeth@Washington)
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To: Alter Kaker
I'd rather have a judge motivated by the pay than by a lust for power. How about yourself?

Somehow, I doubt that raising pay will equate to a weaker lust for power among the judiciary. Especially those on the left.

367 posted on 01/01/2007 1:34:54 PM PST by meyer (Bring back the Contract with America and you'll bring back the Republican majority.)
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To: The Old Hoosier

$165K with a wife and a couple of kids is not a lot of money for DC. You can likely make it work if you have preexisting wealth but if not then the wife is going to likely be working as well.


368 posted on 01/01/2007 2:08:32 PM PST by misterrob (Jack Bauer/Chuck Norris 2008)
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To: You Dirty Rats

Sorry but your logic does not compute.

Lawyers are, by nature, POND SCUM. Do not give them any more due than they deserve.

The Constitution does NOT require a law degree to be on the Supreme Court.

I would trust the opinion of the average idiot on the street as much as a federal judge.

Once they get appointed and confirmed for LIFE, they are little GODS and know it. They are not desperate for cash.


369 posted on 01/01/2007 2:15:52 PM PST by packrat35 (guest worker/day worker=SlaveMart)
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To: Earthdweller
Strange! I was born in Indianapolis and just moved to Nevada from Texas. I really just wish we could restructure our country with free enterprise instead of the lottery style whatchacallit we have now. This would be an impossible feat after such a long term abuse of our judicial and legislative system. I don't think the governing powers could withstand the strain of giving without getting ten fold. they have created a monster and i have not in 40 years conceived offspring for the reason of knowing the pains that I'm afraid our current system would put them through. My family name will soon die off and my heritage forever extinguished. I feel a hole in my heart for this and my soul begs forgiveness if it was the wrong thing to do. I will say wholeheartedly that I LOVE MY COUNTRY, served in armed services and would not want to live anywhere else. In saying that I hope by the grace of GOD (because he is the one we trust) that our people and government turn this around for the sake of the whole planet. We will most likely not see the turn of events to make or break this deal but, it isn't looking so promising at the moment. We need to concentrate globally on the human (race) ignore religious, political, and spiritual beliefs as long as they harm no other. Pull it together people and make this what it was meant to be. Some people are smarter, faster, nicer, better looking and then there's me. I just want to feel love for life and when I walk out the door know I can give that to someone else without fear. This is a materialistic society and the only material that matters is the children. At this point and it seems they are disregarded as soon as you limit the resources for electing government officials, or the educators, or having faith in the general public to know what should be self evident for the preservation of the constitution. The people do not control this, and the people who do will never stop thinking the job is impossible for an average, go to work American. Shamelessly some of our major players look for the almighty dollar to ease the pain of their predecessors mistakes, instead of correcting. I guess if your bury your head in a Winnebago full of money you can ignore the demise of our great country.

America Rules Mainly because we can continue to do this year after year and no one is cutting heads off, mass homicides of whole families or any of the really horrible things going on around the world. Our government will realize, most likely when it is too late that the planet is not going to hold all of us and they will come. Jealous, self-righteous, nations of scorned people who feel neglected and won't care about America or its people and all the money in the world we be your only heritage. All of us extinct and that would be a shame. To dreams of a healthy world i say i have enjoyed and just like to argue sometimes. Be safe everyone and love your neighbor they might love you back. Everyone knows that you nurture love you don't buy or own it. A fed dog will still bite you if you kick him enough times. Although he may wait till you're sleeping. Good Luck. See you in another forum sometime I'm sure of it.
370 posted on 01/01/2007 2:15:59 PM PST by new2NV
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To: misterrob

Maybe if you buy a a house in Old Town or McClean, or a condo right downtown. But I can't see anyone having trouble with that amount on Capitol Hill, Southwest or Columbia Heights, or anywhere in Fairfax County.


371 posted on 01/01/2007 2:20:10 PM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might)
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To: Alter Kaker

Where have I heard this before?

Yes just like raising the pay for teachers made the schools better. Its for the children.

Now its raise the pay for judges. Its for the country.


372 posted on 01/01/2007 2:20:23 PM PST by packrat35 (guest worker/day worker=SlaveMart)
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To: TWohlford
1. The free market rules.

This is public service. The free market doesn't apply here.

2. A low-paid judge is a bribable judge.

That judge had no principles to begin with. Pay has nothing to do with it. There are lots of honorable judges who make (in their sense) far less than those who work in the private legal sector.

3. There are some things in life that you don't price-shop.

And there are other forms of employment for judges if they feel they don't make enough in the public sector. That's why it's called public service. You do it for your country & community, not for the money.

373 posted on 01/01/2007 2:24:13 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Why can't Republicans stand up to Democrats like they do to terrorists?)
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To: new2NV
"See you in another forum sometime I'm sure of it."

I've already been to the other "forums". They are Nucking Fruts.

You sound like you have given up...why?

Feel free to Freepmail me. Press the private reply button.

374 posted on 01/01/2007 2:41:40 PM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: Albion Wilde
I can say only three things in defense of his claim...

Roberts can tell it to the Marines.

In other words take his whine to our servicemen and women, all of whom make a heck of a lot less than Roberts and his brethren.

375 posted on 01/01/2007 2:45:01 PM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: mewzilla

If anyone in government gets a pay raise, it ought to be our servicemen and women.


376 posted on 01/01/2007 2:46:05 PM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
You do it for your country & community, not for the money.

And then there's the prestige, perks, and POWER.
Oh yeah, and the speaking fees.

Roberts and everybody else who believes the way he believes are going to find that increasing the pay of judges is a really tough sell as long as scumbag liberal activist judges continue to urinate in people's faces as they shamelessly overturn, by fiat, the will of the public.

If judges like Roberts want to help expose and dump these judges who want nothing more than to please the liberal newsrooms and the "jackpot justice" trial attorney lobby which keeps them in their pockets, THEN they can ask for more money.

377 posted on 01/01/2007 2:56:00 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Richard from IL

I have a friend who worked at Bell Labs for a long time and who has a number of patents in his name; however, as a condition of employment the company keeps any money earned from the practical application of the patents.

The perks of the job - ie creating cutting edge technology - was more important than $$$ to him.


378 posted on 01/01/2007 3:01:02 PM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
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To: GovernmentShrinker; Hildy; All

You are leaving out one of the more visible perks of the job - the power and prestige gained by serving as a SC justice.

Put a price tag on that and then tell me any SC justice, state or federal, is undercompensated.


379 posted on 01/01/2007 3:04:23 PM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
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To: The Old Hoosier

Go look up real estate values in Fairfax county and tell me what $500K gets you. Since I lived up there not too long ago I can tell you that it buys you a 20 year old house in Hernandez (Herndon). If you live in the District you have to pay for private school because no one with any smarts sends their kids to public school there.


380 posted on 01/01/2007 3:04:25 PM PST by misterrob (Jack Bauer/Chuck Norris 2008)
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