A group of Gwinnett County judges are stepping up to help their brethren by agreeing to additional furlough days to offset cuts in the state budget.
The furloughs began last fall when nine of 10 Superior Court judges took three days of unpaid leave after Gov. Sonny Perdue mandated across-the-board budget cuts. The newest round of cuts has rippled beyond the Superior Court. Gwinnett County State Court judges agreed to take two days of furlough to avoid layoffs or pay cuts to the Superior Court staff. Funding for the State Court is provided by the county. The judges have indicated that they will report to work but accept the pay reduction to keep the courts functioning.
“Although the shortage was created by the state budget, we agreed to help the Superior Court judges and their employees," said Chief State Court Judge Robert Mock. "Our goals, since we are a unified bench, are to keep the bench unified and the courts running.”
More assistance for Superior Court hs come from Gwinnett's Chief Magistrate, George Hutchinson, and his staff of five full time appointed judges. Hutchinson has agreed to forego two days of his pay, and each full time magistrate has agreed to give up one day of pay voluntarily.
