Article 2. Assignment Of Judges of California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 2.

Any judge assigned to a court wherein a judge's compensation is greater than his or her own shall receive while sitting therein the compensation of a judge thereof. The extra compensation shall be paid in such manner as may be provided by law.

The extra compensation and expenses for travel, board, and lodging of judges sitting in the Supreme Court and courts of appeal under assignments made by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council shall be paid by the state under the rules adopted by the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board that are applicable to officers of the state provided for in Article VI of the California Constitution while traveling on official state business.

(a) Whenever a judge who has retired under the Judges' Retirement System or the Judges' Retirement System II is assigned to serve in a court of record, the state shall pay the judge for each day of service in the court in the amount specified in Section 68543.7, without loss or interruption of retirement benefits, unless the judge waives compensation under this section. Whenever a retired judge of a justice court who is not a member of the Judges' Retirement System nor the Judges' Retirement System II is assigned to serve in a court of record, the state shall pay the judge for each day of service in the court in the amount specified in Section 68543.7, or the compensation specified in Section 68541, whichever is greater. The compensation shall be paid by the Judicial Council out of any appropriation for extra compensation of judges assigned by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
  (b) If a judge who has retired under the Judges' Retirement System or the Judges' Retirement System II is assigned to serve in a court of record, the 8-percent difference between the compensation of the retired judge while so assigned and the compensation of a judge of the court to which the retired judge is assigned shall be paid to the Judges' Retirement Fund or the Judges' Retirement System II Fund, as applicable.
  (c) During the period of assignment, a retired judge shall be allowed expenses for travel, board, and lodging incurred in the discharge of the assignment. When assigned to sit in the county in which he or she resides, the judge shall be allowed expenses for travel and board incurred in the discharge of the assignment. The expenses for travel, board, and lodging shall be paid by the state under the rules adopted by the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board that are applicable to officers of the state provided for in Article VI of the California Constitution while traveling on official state business.
  (d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) pertaining to compensation, a retired judge on senior judge status shall receive compensation from the state as provided in Sections 75028 and 75028.2, and shall be allowed expenses for travel, board, and lodging incurred in the discharge of the assignment as provided in this section.

Subject to funding in the Budget Act, the Chief Justice shall make available by assignment the equivalent of 50 additional full-time judges. A judge retired under the Judges' Retirement System or the Judges' Retirement System II sitting on assignment in a trial court shall be paid in the amount of 92 percent of 1/250th of the annual salary of a judge of the court to which he or she is assigned for each day of service in the court.

(a) The Legislature finds that there is a shortage of judicial officers available to provide temporary assistance to courts in rural counties, under assignment by the chief justice. When courts are unable to obtain temporary assistance, delay of both civil trials and case settlements occur. The availability of an assigned judge can substantially reduce these delays. The purpose of this section is to make judicial assistance more available.
  (b) The Judicial Council shall contract with up to 10 retired judges who shall be available to be assigned up to 110 court days each year by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council to courts in counties that have requested these judges for purposes of reducing delays in civil trials in those courts. If counties request more than 10 retired judges pursuant to this section, the Judicial Council shall give priority in assigning the retired judges to counties with fewer than 10 judges. A judge under contract pursuant to this section shall serve as assigned during the period of the contract and waives any right to refuse assignment as otherwise provided by law. This section shall not be construed to limit the authority of the Chief Justice to make assignments to expedite judicial business and to equalize the workload of judges.
  (c) Notwithstanding Section 68543.5, each judge under contract pursuant to this section shall receive one-half of the daily salary of a superior court judge for each day of service, in addition to any retirement benefits to which the judge may be entitled.
  (d) The assigned judge's salary shall be paid by the state. A retired judge under contract pursuant to this section shall be allowed expenses for travel, board, and lodging incurred in the discharge of each assignment. When assigned to sit in the county in which he or she resides, the judge shall be allowed necessary and reasonable expenses for travel and board incurred in the discharge of the assignment. The expenses for travel, board, and lodging shall be paid by the state under the rules adopted by the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board that are applicable to officers of the state provided for in Article VI of the California Constitution while traveling on official state business.

When the judge files a claim, the Judicial Council shall draw warrants for the payment of extra compensation or expenses as provided in this article.

The payments by the state toward the extra compensation and expenses provided in this article shall be made from the money appropriated for the support of the Judicial Council.

(a) For the purposes of this article, a judge or justice is deemed to serve or sit under assignment on each day during which it is necessary for him or her on account of the assignment to serve in a substantial way on the court to which assigned, to travel to or from such court, or to be absent from his or her residence. If a judge so serves under assignment in one or more courts during all days other than Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in any period of 30 or more consecutive days (inclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), he or she shall be deemed also to have served or sat in such court or courts on all Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during or immediately preceding that period. If a judge who serves his or her court on a part-time basis has completed the business of the home court for all days affected by any assignment, compensation attributable to the home court shall only be deducted from the amounts to be paid pursuant to Section 68540.7 for the days the judge is serving on assignment to the extent necessary to limit the assigned judge's total judicial compensation for the month to the amount earned by a regular judge of the court to which the judge is assigned.
  (b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2001.

Each judge assigned by the Chairman of the Judicial Council to another court of a like or higher jurisdiction pursuant to Section 6, Article VI, of the State Constitution has no authority to refuse such assignment and shall forthwith accept such assignment and shall sit and hold court as so assigned.

(a) A judge who has been defeated in an election for his or her office and who, before his term of office expires, elects to leave his or her accumulated contributions in the fund pursuant to Section 75033, or to receive benefits pursuant to Section 75033.5, shall not be deemed a retired judge within the meaning of Section 6 of Article VI of the California Constitution.
  (b) Except as provided in subdivision (a), any judge whose position is terminated by court annexation, merger, closure, or consolidation, or who retires or resigns from office, and who has a vested interest under a public employees' retirement system as a result of service as a judge, and who has been a member of the State Bar for at least five years or who has served as a judge of a court of record, shall be deemed a retired judge within the meaning of Section 6 of Article VI of the California Constitution.

The Judicial Council shall adopt a rule of court requiring every trial court to adopt, by January 2000, a requirement limiting jury service to either one trial, or one day on call, per individual, except in those counties which can demonstrate good cause why such a requirement is impractical.