State Board recommends raising judge's salaries

Thursday, November 10th 2005, 5:41 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Pay for Oklahoma judges would increase from 14 percent to 19 percent if the state Legislature or Gov. Brad Henry approves a judicial compensation panel's recommendation.

The Board on Judicial Compensation voted 5-1 Wednesday to give the state's judges raises ranging up to the $22,429 target for the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The panel's suggested pay increases for 240 state judges would go into effect July 1. Lawmakers could amend the panel's recommendations.

Board Chairman David Pitts of Stillwater said the increase is necessary to attract and retain the best qualified judges, adding that Oklahoma ranks between 42nd and 48th in the nation in that category.

The last raise the judiciary received was in July, said Cheryl Camp, Administrative Office of the Courts spokeswoman.

State law bases the pay of many state elected officials on judges' salaries, so the board's move also would mean eventual pay increases for many of the state's top non-judicial offices.

For example, the governor's salary equals the salary earned by the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The lieutenant governor receives a salary equal to an associate district judge, and the attorney general's pay equals the salary of the presiding judge of the Court of Civil Appeals.

State law, however, bars statewide elected officers from taking a pay raise until a subsequent term of office begins, which is January 2007.

The judicial compensation panel was created by the Legislature in 2004 and became effective July 1.

In past years, judges ranging from appellate courts to district courts got their raises from the Legislature instead of an independent panel.

Some years, judges received no raises.

``I was pleased to review the first biennial report of the Board on Judicial Compensation and their recommendation for judicial salary increases,'' said Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph M. Watt. ``For years, the judiciary of Oklahoma has served the citizens of this state with pride, dedication and resolve. Yet we have always remained near the bottom of judicial salaries, ranking 45th in the nation.''