Roberts Calls on Congress to Act on Salaries

The following item is by Supreme Court Correspondent Tony Mauro.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. is calling on Congress to make approval of a judicial salary increase "a first order of business" when it comes back from recess in January.


In his third annual year-end report on the state of the judiciary, Roberts also pledged to work on improving relations with the other branches of government and to continue reforming procedures for handling judicial misconduct complaints. The report was formally released at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1.

Overall, Roberts said Americans should take "enormous pride in our judicial system" which, he said, serves as a beacon around the world. "When foreign nations discard despotism and undertake to reform their judicial systems, they look to the United States judiciary as the model for securing the rule of law," he said.


Without specifically mentioning Pakistan, where the dismissal and arrest of the chief justice in 2007 triggered turmoil, Roberts said "we do not need to look beyond the front page of any newspaper" to understand the importance of a "skilled and independent judiciary."
 


Roberts recounted how Russian Supreme Court justice Yuriy Ivanovitch Sidorenko, in a recent visit to the United States, visited Arlington National Cemetery to pay tribute to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Roberts' predecessor and mentor. Sidorenko and Rehnquist had become friends, Roberts said, and Rehnquist had offered "advice and encouragement" as the Russian judiciary was reformed in the post-Soviet era.


In his report Roberts also invoked Rehnquist's "20-year pursuit" of judicial salary increases in urging swift action in 2008 on the issue. Roberts noted that federal trial judges are "earning about the same as (and in some cases less than) first-year lawyers at firms in major cities, where many of the judges are located." The words "first-year lawyers" are italicized in the text of Roberts' report. U.S. district court judges are paid $165,200 a year, the same as members of Congress. Salaries for first-years at many top U.S. law firms hit $160,000 this year (not counting bonuses), and Williams & Connolly recently announced that it would pay incoming associates $180,000.



The House Judiciary Committee on Dec. 12 endorsed, by a 28-5 vote, a bill that would raise the pay of district judges to $218,000, with similar increases for other judges. The Senate was considering a similar bill when the session ended in December. Roberts said he was grateful for support from President George W. Bush and leaders of both parties of Congress on the salary issue, adding, "I urge prompt passage as a first order of business in the new session."


On the issue of judicial misconduct, Roberts said, "the judiciary must relentlessly ensure that federal judges maintain the highest standards of integrity." He said the Judicial Conference, the policy-making body of the judiciary, had already implemented most of the recommendations for procedural changes made in 2006 by a committee that Justice Stephen Breyer headed. Rehnquist had created the committee in 2004 in part to respond to congressional complaints that it was difficult to hold judges accountable for alleged ethical violations. Further action will be considered at the conference's next meeting in March, Roberts said. "The judiciary cannot tolerate misconduct," Roberts said. "The public rightly expects the judiciary to be fair but firm in policing its own." 


Roberts also spoke of the need to improve communications with Congress. It was easier for the two branches to communicate, he noted, before the Court moved from its space in the U.S. Capitol to its own building in 1935. Roberts quipped, "I am assured that my colleagues are happy in our separate building and not inclined to move back to the Capitol (even were we invited)." So Roberts said other avenues of communication with Congress and the executive branch will be sought to "strive, through respectful exchange of insights and ideas, to know and appreciate where the others stand."

Comments

[Barbara Ann Jackson]

re: Pay Raise For Some Judges' Is A Revolting Concept! Plus, New Orleans Federal Judiciary Call To Impeach Judge G. Thomas Porteous. . .

For people whose lives have been devastated because of federal judges' (or any judge's) lack of regard for established laws, talk of pay raises for judges is a revolting concept. Also, it seems that knowledge of the law IS NOT required in order to become appointed as a judge, nor to remain one. Like a certain New Orleans federal who repeatedly granted motions, orders and rulings to lawyers despite that the named defendant in the lawsuit never was served the lawsuit. Even worse, the federal judge had absolutely no federal subject matter jurisdiction over that state tort lawsuit for Conversion.

Posted on the www.lawgrace.org website is the court transcript portion from a hearing where that judge dictated his own guidelines, in utter disregard for removal statutes, although jurisprudence clearly states that the grounds for removing a lawsuit to federal court must exist at the time of removal; and improper removal cannot be cured if FEDERAL SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION DID NOT EXIST. Moreover, no judge can exercise jurisdiction over a defendant which has not been made a party to a lawsuit.

Because of railroading such as this, overall perceptions about judicial collusion and unlikelihood of receiving justice steers some people to televised courtrooms. But, then there are also hallmark examples such as former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' characterizations of Wrongs things as Right things. Further, it is common knowledge that many judges receive junkets and all sorts of perks -unfortunately from conflict of interests entities appearing in some of their courtrooms.

But even more relevant, since this country's nationwide Mortgage Mess / Foreclosure Crisis situation affects every American in some way or another, New Orleans federal court systems comes to the forefront in light of MANIFEST judicial collusion which abets mortgage giants FREDDIE MAC and WELLS FARGO in real estate and mortgage fraud racketeering.

FORECLOSURE FRAUD committed via DEBT COLLECTION abuse and deception, is the worst factor of the Mortgage Mess. Collectors file foreclosures naming DEFUNCT mortgage companies, or mortgage companies which NO LONGER hold the note; and affix "ransom" amounts (collectors' fees) exceeding "Acceleration Clauses." When homeowners sue for "Unfair Debt Collection Practices," collectors get even more $$ from protracted litigation while leading some lenders to believe the homeowner caused added legal expenses.

ACTUAL SITUATION: For a purported foreclosure debt of $86,000.00, filing under a non-existent mortgage company, collection attorneys racked up approximately a quarter of a million dollars in fees litigating lawsuits for various damages against their sham client. The foreclosed property was ultimately sold to a 3rd party for $37,000.00. (Dollar amounts approximate.) Securities Investors got nothing, nothing practical was accomplished by evicting the homeowners, property value declined in that neighborhood, and collectors made bundles! As an added measure to inflame courts and heighten chances of judicial favor, collectors propagate that defaulted property owners are costing their clients mega bucks. Using
such false leverage with judges against people facing homelessness has to be the cruelest type of exploitation and maligning!

Moreover, the foregoing description regarding real estate racketeering and the New Orleans federal judiciary IS NOT the only blatant collusion, injustice, cronyism, and disparity. However, this scenario of corruption reveals why crime, violence, poverty, oppression, disintegration of households is so pervasive.

Lastly, because of reported rampant abuse of power, in my opinion, without some type of merit raise system, some judges should not receive raises! And the one in particular, New Orleans federal Judge Porteous whose impeachment Chief Justice Roberts is required to consider, should actually be in jail like his fellow judges who were jailed in the Bail Bonds Unlimited / Operation Wrinkled Robe scandals. How Justice Roberts deals with Judge Porteous will say a lot about his promise to enhance judicial integrity.
_____________________________
Here's some other links:

-FEDERAL JUDGES' Pay Raise; New Orleans Federal Judiciary Call To Impeach
http://newsblaze.com/story/20080101084831tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html

-Viewpoint: Calls for Impeachment of N. O. Federal Judge G. Thomas Porteous"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_barbara__071223_viewpoint_3a___calls_f.htm.

-Mortgage Mess, Foreclosure Fraud and Impediments to Justice
http://newsblaze.com/story/20071203130614tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.

-Casualties From New Orleans Ineptness and Corruption Coming To A City Near You http://www.lawgrace.org/2006/06/30/casualties-from-corruption/
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Barbara Ann Jackson
Law & Grace, Inc.,
PO Box 5373
Shreveport, LA 71135
www.lawgrace.org

[amelia albrecht]

The Supreme Court Justices surely do need an increase in salary! I'm wondering if they have protection (for their personal
safety) paid in addition to their salaries?
Could you answer this on the air? We live in a perilous age.
However, I wish we could avoid giving this increase to certain unjust adjudicators!
Hooray for Roberts saying misconduct should not be tolerated. O.K., citizens of the U.S., stand and be counted! We all must participate against corrupt judges. Don't just observe, take action.