The New York Law Journal-Governor, Legislature Ordered To Raise Pay of State's Judges
By Daniel Wise
June 11, 2008
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Edward H. Lehner yesterday gave the Legislature and Governor David A. Paterson 90 days to adjust the pay of the state's 1,300 judges to reflect the rise in the cost of living since their last raise nearly 10 years ago.
Justice Lehner found that the Legislature and the governor had "unconstitutionally abused their power" by neglecting to raise judicial pay. He concluded in Larabee v. Governor, 112301/07, that the executive and legislative branches had violated the separation of powers doctrine by linking judicial pay to extraneous legislative issues such as raises for the legislators themselves and campaign finance reform.
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