Saturday, January 19, 2008
NO SCREENING OR TRANSPARENCY FOR MUNICIPAL JUDGES IN SC
The Post and Courier recently reported Ex-judge sues city over job. The article notes in part:
A former part-time municipal judge is suing North Charleston in federal court for job discrimination after City Council rejected her reappointment in 2005.
Tiffany Spann-Wilder filed suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston, claiming the city failed to keep her in the job she held for four years because she had repeatedly asked for a raise and was rebuffed.At the time Doughty was appointed, Bowers was making $30,704a year. Associate Judge Mel Coleman, who has worked part time since 1991, made $32,000 a year. Chief Judge Victor Revelise made $78,000 a year and Judge George Epps, who has since retired, earned $73,690 a year. They were the city's two full-time judges.Today, according to North Charleston Personnel Director Bob Connella, Bowers makes between $42,000 and $46,000 a year. Doughty earns between $34,000 and $38,000 a year. Revelise, who has worked for the city since 1986, is paid $87,924 a year and Coleman, who used to work part time as a contract employee, earns $70,944 a year. He has taken over Epps' duties, Connella said.
We have no idea whether the Plaintiff will prevail in this case, although, as a general rule, we do not bet against Terry Rickson. We do note, however, that municipal judges--who are paid pretty well--are not required to be members of the Bar, have Law Degrees, or to go through the same screening process that lawyers are required to undergo before being admitted to the Bar. It seems to us that judges should have to be at least as educated and knowledgeable about the subject as those who appear before them. More important, there should be some transparency regarding the criteria for appointments and retention.
