Alabama's judicial salaries raise red flags

By: Editorial | Opelika-Auburn News
Published: August 05, 2008

Last month,we lamented poor ethical grades Help Abolish Legal Tyranny (HALT) gave Alabama’s judicial system. Whether or not poor ethics exists, the report — which ranked Alabama 38th in holding state judges accountable — at least showed there was a little oversight to prevent unethical situations.

So, Alabama ranks 38th in state judge accountability but still ranked among the nation’s highest in judge salaries. We’re not doing much to ensure our judicial system is completely ethical, but we don’t mind passing out some of the largest judicial paychecks in America.

Raise the red flags. In Alabama, it pays to wear a robe and hold the gavel. It pays handsomely.

It was reported Monday that Alabama’s Supreme Court chief justices make $196,183 annually, roughly $48,000 more than the national average. They are the seventh-highest paid chief justices in the nation. Associate justices bring in an annual paycheck of $169,310, which is roughly $28,000 more than the national average.

Lower appellate court judges make $174,315 annually (third nationally), nearly $33,000 more than the national average.

We highly value justice in Alabama. Justice is one of the great freedoms taxpayers, who ultimately fund these salaries, should have the explicit right to — and the right to know it was carried out without the slightest hint of impropriety. We need to make sure the salaries devoted to justice are relatively equal to the performance of our judicial system. One watchdog group’s report does not tell the whole story, but it certainly raises eyebrows.

While our state judges are among America’s most highly paid in their profession, the average salary of Alabama citizens does not compare. Employed Alabamians earned an average of $34,950 last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ranking this state 40th in the nation. Hmm … 40th in worker wages … 38th in judicial accountability … top 10 in judicial salaries.

What should be done?

Let’s work hard to make sure Alabama state courts far surpass ethical scorecards and are not the subject of judicial watchdog groups; keep judicial salaries where they are but demand performance for these salaries; continue to lure industries into the state and give them an highly trained, highly educated work force to choose from.