California Supreme Court Recuses Itself in Judicial Pay Suit

All California Supreme Court justices recused themselves in hearing a case seeking $36 million due in back pay and raises for state judges.

The highly unusual order forces the judiciary to assign judges appointed after July 1, 2017, to decide whether to grant the state’s petition to review an appeals decision affecting pay and benefits for some 1,600 judges.

The class of current and retired justices sued to recover raises they claimed they should have received, but didn’t, from fiscal years 2008-09 through 2010-11, and 2013-14 through 2015-16. They alleged that the unpaid salary increases also lowered judicial pension payments. ...