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Friday, September 2, 2011

Charges of Irresponsible Accounting in Lippman's Judicial Pay Raise Mess

Raises for Justices Mean Higher Pay for Some D.A.s
The New York Law Journal by John Caher  -  September 2, 2011

With last week's recommendation to increase judicial pay 27 percent over the next three years, many upstate and Long Island chief prosecutors are in line for a substantial raise under Judiciary Law §183-a, which links their salaries to judges'. However, district attorney salaries, unlike judicial salaries, are primarily a local expense, and the counties, already reeling over a new law that imposes a limit on property tax increases and perpetually leery of mandates that do not come with money, are alarmed.

ALBANY, NY - A statutory link between judicial and district attorney salaries means many upstate and Long Island chief prosecutors are in line for substantial pay increases over the next three years, and the increased cost may be entirely borne by counties already up in arms over "unfunded mandates."  Under Judiciary Law §183-a, district attorneys in counties outside of New York City with more than 500,000 residents are entitled to the same salary as Supreme Court justices, and full-time prosecutors in counties with populations between 100,000 and 500,000 get paid the same as a county judge.  The provision would affect 22 of 57 counties outside New York City. The law does not apply to the city's district attorneys, who earn $190,000 a year.  With last week's recommendation by the Special Commission on Judicial Compensation to increase judicial salaries 17 percent next April and 27 percent over the next three years—which is binding unless the Legislature and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo enact legislation rejecting the proposal—district attorneys will receive the same raise. Supreme Court justices now make $136,700 and county court judges are paid between $119,800 and $136,700.  However, district attorney salaries, unlike judicial salaries, are primarily a local expense.  In the past, when judicial salaries were determined by the Legislature, lawmakers routinely added an offset to help cover the additional expense for prosecutors imposed on counties.  For instance, the last time judicial and district attorney salaries were increased, in 1999, the state picked up between 36 percent and 42 percent of the cost of the D.A. raises, depending on the county.  But in this round, the Legislature and governor are not involved in setting judicial, and therefore district attorney, salaries and, so far, there is no offset. And the counties, already reeling over a new law that imposes a limit on property tax increases and perpetually leery of mandates that do not come with money, are alarmed.  "It was incredibly irresponsible [to not factor in district attorney salaries while debating judicial salaries], especially as the counties are all earnestly working to cap their property taxes," said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties.  William C. Thompson Jr., the former New York City comptroller and the chairman of the now dissolved pay commission, was not immediately available for comment.  Mr. Acquario said he and the counties are lobbying for additional state funds, but it remains unclear whether the state will cover any portion of the increased expense.  Mary Pat Hancock, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature, is hopeful that when the monies are actually appropriated for the judicial raises funds will be included to reimburse the counties for the district attorney raises.  "I certainly hope they do it, because we sure don't need another mandate," Ms. Hancock said.  Michael Whyland, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said that if the matter is addressed, it will have to be addressed in Mr. Cuomo's budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on April 1, 2012, the same day the first phase of the raises takes effect.  Mr. Cuomo's Division of Budget did not respond to several inquiries on the issue this week.  John Caher can be contacted at jcaher@alm.com.

22 comments:

the devil said...

Well knock me over! Our lovely 'leaders' are screwing us again. First, the judges get screwed for years because our lawmakers hold judicial raises as ransom for their own selfish agendas. So then NY's system of law becomes a full-fledged 'play-to-play' corrupted system of first-rate corruption. And now we learn that our 'trusted' officials (Lippman/Pfau/Silver/Cuomo) didn't even reveal the true cost of any raises. Not to worry, there'll just be more 'creative accounting' as the entire state of New York sinks to where it belongs- hell.

Anonymous said...

now you got it, it is all creative accounting and always has been!
so anyone who tries to correct it, sets up the other guy!
you guys pay a lot of money to keep your fairy tales going!

Anonymous said...

with all the inflation what does a toilet seat go for now about 1700?
remember when they looked up Clinton's tax return and saw he gave his underware to the goodwill with a value!
our whole system is hilarious......
stop hurting each other, stop setting each other up!

Anonymous said...

with all the inflation what does a toilet seat go for now about 1700?
remember when they looked up Clinton's tax return and saw he gave his underware to the goodwill with a value!
our whole system is hilarious......
stop hurting each other, stop setting each other up!

Anonymous said...

with all the inflation what does a toilet seat go for now about 1700?
remember when they looked up Clinton's tax return and saw he gave his underware to the goodwill with a value!
our whole system is hilarious......
stop hurting each other, stop setting each other up!

the baker said...

Let the corrupt members of New York's Judiciary eat cake.

Anonymous said...

as court employees are laid off and facing zero's in the new contract, Lippman wines about a 27% raise not being enough. He claims judges are "held hostage" my response is --- well then quit. If you are such a great lawyer then you can get a job. But then again, law firms are laying off. Lippman, has he ever worked out side the courts? Who is pulling the strings? I find it hard to believe that this narcissistic bafoon enginered his own rise to power.

Anonymous said...

Let's see if cuomo has the testicular fortitude to veto the judges raise. My feeling is that the court unions need to delay contract negotiations until this is passed. then they should demand increases as well.

T Finnan said...

Cuomo is spending and spending. The judges' raises will take place without any action by either Cuomo or the legislature. Follow the fiscal disaster of Cuomo, his cronies, New York State and its sub-parts. See how Judge Lippman got what he wanted.
http://www.cuomotarp.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Thompson, who headed the commission on judicial raises, is a member of a company that sells state bonds . Thompson will make more money if he sells N.Y into more debt. Thompson should not run again for pollitical office again because this proves how biased he is and his close ties

Anonymous said...

These fuc*ers will get what they deserve....

Anonymous said...

What happened to all those court employees who were laid off earlier this year? Did they ever get their jobs back?

If they didn't, with these judges now making so much more, there probably is no chance of that.

If they are still out work, it would be nice if they spent some of their free time letting everyone know about the corruption that goes on in the courts that these judges participate in.

Anonymous said...

Ex-employees are too scared..OCA often and brutally reaches outside of their judicial grounds to harm those who they feel will expose them...the operation of a criminal syndicate!

Anonymous said...

And they eat their young too!

Anonymous said...

hey baker how do you know who is actually corrupt, who is protecting who and who is lying...


I know a baker that is a lying fool!

Anonymous said...

hey baker how do you know who is actually corrupt, who is protecting who and who is lying...


I know a baker that is a lying fool!

Anonymous said...

creative accounting is New York, too bad our banks went down, the FEDS told you to stop it before it got to bad and everyone gets nailed..........a women told the men of the banking commission......
they wouldn't listen!

Anonymous said...

maybe this is part of the reason why "Judge Dread", Paul Czajka of Columbia County, resigned from the Bench to take back his old DA job in order to simultaneously take him out of the line of fire by the NYS Commission on Judicial Conduct but also be entitled to a Raise if he gets back in to the DA's Office?

See, link to NY Post Judge Dread article, Dec. 2004 detailing multiple litigants who had proof that Complaints were received by the NYS CJC on Judge Czajka yet all complaints dismissed without investigation. The NY Post article did not Detail ALL of the many folks that had filed complaints either, just a Snapshot.

http://exposecorruptcourts.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-going-corruption-at-commission-on.html

Anonymous said...

Let's face it, the fix was in and still is in on this one

Anonymous said...

Lippman and his friends are as crooked as corkscrews, what do you expect!

Jail4Judges said...

NOW you know why attorneys acting as alleged Judges belong in JAIL - NOW!

Anonymous said...

lippman and silver both belong in jail

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