75520-75528
GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 75520-75528
75520. (a) A judge shall, monthly, accrue monetary credits equal to 18 percent of the judge's monthly salary. (b) To the total monetary credits in each judge's account, an additional amount shall be credited monthly at a rate, not less than zero, equal to the annual net earnings rate achieved by the Judges' Retirement System II Fund on its investments of moneys in the Judges' Retirement System II Fund during the preceding fiscal year. 75521. (a) A judge who leaves judicial office before accruing at least five years of service shall be paid the amount of his or her contributions to the system, and no other amount. (b) A judge who leaves judicial office after accruing five or more years of service and who is not eligible to elect to retire under Section 75522 shall be paid the amount of his or her monetary credits determined pursuant to Section 75520, including the credits added under subdivision (b) of that section computed to the last day of the month preceding the date of distribution, and no other amount. (c) Judges who leave office as described in subdivision (b) are "retired judges" for purposes of a concurrent retirement with respect to the benefits provided under Section 20639 and assignment pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 66540) of Chapter 2 and are eligible for benefits provided under Section 22814. (d) After a judge has withdrawn his or her accumulated contributions or the amount of his or her monetary credits upon leaving judicial office, the service shall not count in the event he or she later becomes a judge again, until he or she pays into the Judges' Retirement System II Fund the amount withdrawn, plus interest thereon at the rate of interest then being required to be paid by members of the Public Employees' Retirement System under Section 20750 from the date of withdrawal to the date of payment. 75522. (a) A judge is eligible to retire pursuant to this section upon attaining both 65 years of age and 20 or more years of service, or upon attaining 70 years of age with a minimum of five years of service. (b) The office of a judge who retires under this section becomes vacant on the date of the retirement. (c) A judge who retires pursuant to this section shall, within 30 days after the effective date of the retirement, elect to receive either the benefits provided by subdivision (d) or the benefits provided by subdivision (e). Under rules adopted by the board, the time for the election may be extended in cases of illness or other hardship, but once made, the election shall be final and irrevocable. (d) The judge may elect to receive for life a monthly retirement allowance equal to the benefit factor multiplied by the judge's final compensation multiplied by the number of years of service credit. (1) The benefit factor for a judge eligible to retire pursuant to this section equals 3.75 percent per year of service. (2) In no event shall the retirement allowance at the time of retirement exceed 75 percent of the judge's final compensation. (e) The judge may elect to receive the amount of his or her monetary credits determined pursuant to Section 75520, including the credits added under subdivision (b) of that section computed to the last day of the month preceding the date of distribution. Under rules adopted by the board, the judge may elect to receive that amount in a single payment, or may direct that it be paid in an annuity of actuarially equivalent value for the judge's life or in one of the optional forms provided for in Section 75571. (f) If a retired judge fails or refuses to make an election pursuant to subdivision (c) within the time allowed, he or she shall be deemed to have elected to receive a monthly retirement allowance under subdivision (d). 75523. (a) The retirement allowance of retired judges who have elected to receive a monthly allowance under subdivision (d) of Section 75522 or who have retired for disability and are receiving an allowance under Section 75560.4 shall be adjusted effective in January of each year after a judge has been retired under this chapter for more than six months, to reflect any increase in the cost of living occurring after January 1 of the immediately preceding fiscal year. The United States city average of the "Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers," as published by the United States Bureau of Statistics, shall be used as the basis for determining changes in the cost of living. (b) No adjustment shall be made unless the cost-of-living increase equals or exceeds 1 percent. The allowance shall not be increased more than 3 percent in a single year. Increases shall be compounded. (c) The allowance shall not be decreased as a result of the cost-of-living adjustment. (d) The board shall provide, by rule, any details needed for the implementation of this section. 75524. Any designation as a temporary judge or any assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council shall be disregarded for purposes of this chapter. For the purposes of this chapter, no person shall acquire status as a judge, nor shall any person's status as a judge be affected, by that designation or assignment. 75525. Retired judges, and beneficiaries, who are entitled to receive allowances under this chapter, may authorize deductions to be made from their retirement allowance payments, in accordance with regulations established by the board for payment of group life insurance premiums for a group life insurance plan approved by the Director of Finance. 75526. A judge who pleads guilty or no contest or is found guilty of a crime committed while holding judicial office that is punishable as a felony under California or federal law and which either involves moral turpitude under that law or was committed in the course and scope of performing the judge's duties, and the conviction becomes final shall not receive any benefits from the system, except that the amount of his or her contributions to the system shall be paid to him or her by the system. 75527. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the benefits payable to any person shall be subject to the limitations set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. 75528. A judge must have a minimum of six years of judicial service to be eligible for benefits provided by retiring concurrently from this system and the Public Employees' Retirement System or a retirement system subject to the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 pursuant to Section 20639 or 31840.8.