Many top state judges will get 10 percent raises under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Nathan Deal.
House Bill 279 gives raises to Supreme Court, Appeals Court and Superior Court judges, district attorneys and circuit public defenders. By extension members of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation and hundreds of county officials will also get raises.
The raises will cost the state $5.8 million a year, and cost some counties hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Judges have been lobbying state lawmakers since before the 2015 session began for pay raises. Under HB 279, Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges will get 5 percent raises, boosting their pay to $175,600 and $174,500.
Superior Court judges, district attorneys and public defenders will receive 5 percent raises, too. In addition, under a proposal Deal made, those officials in circuits with accountability courts —- a majority of the circuits —- will see an additional $6,000.
Accountability courts, backed by Deal, require defendants to go to work, stay sober and get treatment. Most offenders enter the programs to stay out of prison and, if they graduate, get their charges dismissed. Judges say they perform accountability court work in addition to their regular duties.
With the accountability court supplements, many of the judges, district attorneys and public defenders will see a $12,000 increase.
That will bump the pay of some Superior Court judges in places such as Marietta, Augusta and Savannah to above or near $200,000 year.
The governor’s son is a superior court judge.
The bill will also temporarily cap supplements in some circuits and create a commission to make recommendations on judicial pay.
Supporters of House Bill 279 say the big raises are needed to make sure top lawyers seek out judgeships when there are openings. But the state seldom has a shortage of top lawyers wanting to be judges.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last month that hundreds of county officials have their pay tied to what superior court judges make. So a raise for superior court judges means a raise for local judges, tax commissioners, county commissioners and others in some counties.
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