(Washington,
DC) – Judicial Watch, the public interest
group that fights government corruption
and judicial abuse, announced that
it filed a lawsuit today against Los
Angeles County for allowing individual
Los Angeles County judges to amass
more than $35,000 annually in cash
allowances from the county to pay
for benefits and perks they are already
receiving from the state. Public
disclosure of these payments was first
made by The Los Angeles Times.
“The payment of ‘local judicial benefits’
by the county serves no useful, lawful
purpose, provides no additional public
benefit, and otherwise constitutes
an unconscionable waste of taxpayer
funds,” Judicial Watch argued in its
complaint.
According to the California State
Constitution, “[t]he Legislature shall
prescribe compensation for judges
of courts of record.” In 1997,
the California State Legislature enacted
a law providing that “[o]n and after
July 1, 1997, the state shall assume
sole responsibility for the funding
of court operations,” including salaries
and benefits packages. From
that point forward, judges were no
longer county employees. However
in clear defiance of the California
State Constitution and California
law, since 1998, Los Angeles County
has provided at least $100 million
in taxpayer funds to county judges
in the form of local judicial benefits.
For example, even though judges receive
a full benefits package from the state,
Los Angeles County also provides them
$27,324 annually in cash allowances
to purchase on a pre-tax basis additional
health, life, disability and other
benefits. Given that there are
no requirements as to how the money
must be spent, judges may either purchase
the benefits or keep the cash allowance
as taxable income. The county
dishes out an additional $4,200 annually
to judges for “professional development.”
However, judges are reportedly allowed
to pocket the money and then charge
the state for these “professional
development” items and services.
“For the last eight years Los Angeles
County has swindled taxpayers out
of more than $100 million and it must
stop now,” said Judicial Watch President
Tom Fitton. “Not only is this
a colossal waste of the taxpayers’
hard-earned money, but it is also
highly illegal.”
In March, Judicial Watch provided
a draft of its complaint to the Los
Angeles County officials involved
requesting they immediately terminate
payment of “local judicial benefits.”
The county refused, forcing Judicial
Watch to take legal action.
Judicial Watch filed its lawsuit with
the Superior Court for the State of
California, County of Los Angeles
on behalf of a county resident and
taxpayer. However, given the
fact that the lawsuit involves benefits
paid to judges of that court, presenting
an obvious conflict of interest, Judicial
Watch is requesting that the case
be transferred to another county.
A
copy of Judicial Watch’s complaint
can be found by
clicking here.
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