Letter: View of judges is without merit

Thursday, April 26, 2001 | 9:04 a.m.

Dan Polsenberg's April 18 column, "Judges not paid their fair share," took issue with a Sun editorial on judicial salaries. Polsenberg claims the money is so bad you can't get quality people on the bench.

Where is his proof? Is he saying the folks on the bench now are a bunch of incompetents? Is there a massive wave of judicial resignations taking place? Of course not.

As for recruiting quality people to the bench, let's get away from Polsenberg's hyperbole and deal with a recent fact: Judge Gary Redmon passed away and 14 people applied for the opening. Fourteen!

The vast majority were well-respected within the legal community. Two of them were considered outstanding candidates, and it was one of those two who was ultimately selected.

As for the discrepancy in pay rates: If the judges spent less time trying to figure out ways to get around or shred the Constitution when it comes to mid-term pay raises, and a little more time protecting it by using the amendment process available to them, they might have solved their problem years ago.

Polsenberg is a lawyer stuck with a worst-case scenario. He's got clients (the judges) who have no case.

KNIGHT ALLEN