Section 600.555 - Circuit judge; annual salary.
REVISED JUDICATURE ACT OF 1961 (EXCERPT)
Act 236 of 1961
600.555 Circuit judge; annual salary.
Sec. 555.
(1) Subject to subsection (5), each circuit judge shall receive an annual salary payable by the state as provided in this section and may receive from any county in which he or she regularly holds court an additional salary as determined from time to time by the county board of commissioners. In any county where an additional salary is granted, it shall be paid at the same rate to all circuit judges regularly holding court in that county.
(2) Until the salary of a justice of the supreme court exceeds $128,538.00, each circuit judge shall receive an annual salary determined as follows:
(a) An annual salary payable by the state of $65,314.00.
(b) An additional salary payable by the county or counties of the judicial circuit. The state shall reimburse to a county or counties paying an additional salary to a circuit judge $43,943.00, if the total additional salary, including any cost-of-living allowance, payable by that county or counties to a circuit judge is not less than or more than $43,943.00. If the county or counties pay a circuit judge less than or more than $43,943.00, the county or counties are not entitled to reimbursement from the state under this subsection.
(3) If the salary of a justice of the supreme court exceeds $128,538.00 but is not more than $130,633.00, each circuit judge shall receive an annual salary determined as follows:
(a) An annual salary payable by the state of $65,314.00.
(b) An additional salary payable by the county or counties of the judicial circuit. If a county or counties paying an additional salary to a circuit judge pay a circuit judge the difference between 85% of the salary of a justice of the supreme court and $65,314.00, the state shall reimburse to the county or counties that amount. If the county or counties pay a circuit judge an additional salary, including any cost-of-living allowance, that exceeds that amount, the county or counties are not entitled to reimbursement from the state under this subsection.
(4) If the salary of a justice of the supreme court exceeds $130,633.00, each circuit judge shall receive an annual salary determined as follows:
(a) An annual salary payable by the state that is the difference between 85% of the salary of a justice of the supreme court and $45,724.00.
(b) An additional salary payable by the county or counties of the judicial circuit. The state shall reimburse to a county or counties paying an additional salary to a circuit judge $45,724.00, if the total additional salary, including any cost-of-living allowance, payable by that county or counties to a circuit judge is not less than or more than $45,724.00. If the county or counties pay a circuit judge less than or more than $45,724.00, the county or counties are not entitled to reimbursement from the state under this subsection.
(5) An increase in the amount of salary payable to a judge under subsection (1) caused by an increase in the salary payable to a justice of the supreme court resulting from the operation of Act No. 357 of the Public Acts of 1968, being sections 15.211 to 15.218 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, shall not be effective until February 1 of the year in which the increase in the salary of a justice of the supreme court becomes effective. If an increase in salary becomes effective on February 1 of a year in which an increase in the salary of a justice of the supreme court becomes effective, the increase shall be retroactive to January 1 of that year.
(6) Each circuit judge who holds court in a county other than the county of his or her residence shall be reimbursed for his or her actual and necessary expenses incurred in holding court. Each circuit judge entitled to the reimbursement shall certify the expenses incurred to the court administrator for allowance. Upon allowance by the administrator, the state treasurer shall issue a warrant on the state treasury for payment.
(7) A circuit judge whose case load is less than other circuit judges may be authorized by the supreme court or state court administrator to assist other courts and perform other judicial duties, for limited periods or specific assignments. This subsection shall not be construed as a directive to the supreme court or state court administrator.
History: 1961, Act 236, Eff. Jan. 1, 1963 ;-- Am. 1963, Act 172, Eff. Sept. 6, 1963 ;-- Am. 1965, Act 284, Imd. Eff. July 22, 1965 ;-- Am. 1966, Act 252, Eff. Jan. 1, 1967 ;-- Am. 1970, Act 248, Imd. Eff. July 1, 1971 ;-- Am. 1980, Act 438, Eff. Sept. 1, 1981 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 259, Imd. Eff. Jan. 5, 1996 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 374, Eff. Jan. 1, 1997
Compiler's Notes: Sections 2 and 4 of Act 438 of 1980 provide:“Conditional effective date; action constituting exercise of option; effect of exercising option.“Section 2. (1) This amendatory act shall not take effect unless the city of Detroit and the county of Wayne, by resolutions adopted not later than May 1, 1981, by the governing bodies of the city and the county, respectively, agree to assume responsibility for any expenses required of the city or the county by this amendatory act, and the bills listed in enacting section 7 which are enacted and take effect.“(2) If the city of Detroit and the county of Wayne, acting through their governing bodies, agree to assume responsibility for any expenses required of the city and the county by this amendatory act, and the bills listed in enacting section 7 which are enacted and take effect, that action constitutes an exercise of the city's and the county's option to provide a new activity or service or to increase the level of activity or service offered in the city of Detroit and the county of Wayne beyond that required by existing law, as the elements of that option are defined by Act No. 101 of the Public Acts of 1979, being sections 21.231 to 21.244 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, and a voluntary acceptance by the city and the county of all expenses and capital improvements which may result from establishment of the district court in the thirty-sixth district and the reorganization of the circuit court in the third judicial circuit and the recorder's court of the city of Detroit. However, the exercise of the option does not affect the state's obligation to pay the same portion of each district or circuit judge's salary which is paid by the state to the other district or circuit judges, or to appropriate and disburse funds to the district control units, city, or county, for the necessary costs of state requirements established by a state law, other than this amendatory act or the bills listed in enacting section 7 which becomes effective on or after December 23, 1978.”The resolutions referred to in Section 2 were adopted by the city council of the city of Detroit on April 29, 1981, and by the board of commissioners of the county of Wayne on April 30, 1981.“Effective date of certain sections.“Section 4. Sections 304, 555, 563, 564, 567, 591, 592, 593, 594, 595, 641, 821, 1114, 1123, 1168, 1302, 1303, 1306, 1417, 1471, 1481, 5706, 8202, 8271, 8272, 8273, 8275, 8281, 8283, 8302, 8314, 8322, 8501, 8521, 8525, 8535, 8621, 9924, 9944, and 9947 shall take effect September 1, 1981.”