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Raises scheduled for Delaware judges
February 2, 2011
Delaware: Governor Jack Markell's 2011 budget includes a 3.6% pay raise for the state's 19 Superior Court judges. The pay increase is scheduled for a year when nearly all of Delaware's 17,000+ state employees are facing a pay freeze. The increase would bring the annual salaries of 18 associate justices to $174,950 and President Judge James T. Vaughn, Jr. to $185,750.[1]
The reasoning behind the raise is an effort to correct a "mistake" made in 2004 when Chancery Court judges received a pay increase over what the Superior Court judges were earning. Prior to 2004 the two courts were compensated at the same level. Superior Courts hear criminal cases, while the Chancery Court hears cases regarding financial issues.
Those who recommended the 2004 Chancery Court pay increase however, deny that it was an error, saying that the Chancery Court handles "more complicated" cases and warrants additional compensation.[2]
Retired Judge William Quillen (of both the Superior and Chancery Courts) said that he thinks pay between the courts should be equal, "You can argue what each court does, but at the moment, it seems to me the guy with the hardest job is the guy trying murder cases. I think it ought to be the same, and you can't lower them."[2]
Markell defended the move, saying that he wants to correct "what I believe to be a significant error". [3]
External links
- Delaware Online Opinion, "Superior Court judiciary should receive pay raise," February 5, 2011
- Delaware Online Opinion, "Equalize, rather than raise, salaries of the state's judges," February 3, 2011
- Delaware Online Opinion, "In this economy, not even judges should seek pay raise," February 2, 2011
Footnotes
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