BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — This month, Idaho Supreme Court Justice John Stegner announced he’s retiring from the bench, forgoing the remaining three years in his term. His reason: low pay for difficult work.
Stegner, 69, has served on the state’s highest court since 2018 and as an Idaho judge since 1997. Discouraged by pay disparities between judges and attorneys, coupled with an increasingly fraught political environment for the American judicial system, Stegner decided he’ll seek more lucrative and less taxing employment in the private sector.
“My fear is that making the job more difficult, which I think society is doing in its own way, and not increasing the salaries for judges sends a poor message,” Stegner told the Idaho Statesman by phone. “We don’t value what judges do, and it’s a very challenging job.”
Idaho ranks near the bottom in judicial salaries compared with other states, and judicial vacancies are attracting fewer applicants against stiff competition with high-paying private firms. After Idaho judges were the only state employees who didn’t receive raises last year, the Idaho Legislature approved raises this year. But pay is still lagging behind inflation.
ATTORNEYS DETERRED BY LOW SALARIES
Stegner told the Statesman that an attorney with his experience could earn between $300 and $400 per hour in the private sector. An Idaho Supreme Court justice next fiscal year will receive a salary of a little over $165,000, or about $80 per hour based on a 40-hour...
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