CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Kanawha Circuit judge says raises for judges across West Virginia is much needed, noting the last raises happened eight years ago.
The state Legislative Judicial Compensation Commission on Tuesday released its report on raises that would affect judicial officeholders from magistrate courts to the state Supreme Court.
The commission recommended a 20.6% raise for family court judges and raises of around 18% for other courts. Annual salaries for magistrate judges would go from $57,500 to $68,028; family court judges from $94,500 to $113,930; circuit judges from $126,000 to $149,069; and Supreme Court justices from $136,000 to $160,894.
The commission consists of West Virginia University College of Law Dean Greg Bowman and members appointed by the Senate president and the House of Delegates speaker.
Judge Duke Bloom said when looking at judicial salaries of states, four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, West Virginia currently ranks 53rd of 55 areas.
“We are dramatically below all of the averages even at the proposed salary level that they have recommended,” he said during an appearance on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
“I think it’s very well warranted, and I know to the average West Virginian those sound like high salaries,” Bloom also said. “Most judges serve because they want to give back to their community and give back to their state and it’s an honorable profession, but most of our judges have a great deal of legal experience.”
Bloom said the report notes the average salary for a lawyer in rural communities in the American South is more than what judges in West Virginia currently make.
“The demands of the job are getting greater and greater for all the abuse and neglect that we’re having with all the opioid crime with the deaths and robberies and that kind of stuff,” he said. “You have to ask yourself at some point our salaries are so low, that we will find it difficult to attract good people with good heads on their shoulders who will give up a far more lucrative practice and opportunity for earnings to take these jobs.”
State lawmakers will determine what to do with the report; the Legislature did not take up a December 2017 report which recommended a 7% pay increase for family court judges and a 5% pay raise for other judges.