(a) If, after retirement for disability, a retired judge engages in the practice of law or other gainful occupation, the retirement allowance otherwise payable to him or her shall continue and shall not be reduced, except as provided in this section.
(b) If a retired judge becomes entitled to any salary for assignment to a court by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council after retirement under Section 75060, the retirement allowance otherwise payable to him or her shall, during the time he or she is entitled to receive that salary or other compensation, be reduced by the amount of that salary or compensation.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), if a judge who is retired for disability engages in the practice of law or any other gainful occupation in which the compensation earned in any month when combined with the judge’s allowance exceeds 75 percent of the salary payable to the judge holding the judicial office to which the retired judge was last elected or appointed, the retirement allowance otherwise payable to the judge shall be reduced by the amount of any earnings in excess of that amount. The judge shall report the compensation earned during each month to the board by the eighth day of the following month.
(d) If a judge who is retired for disability engages in the practice of law or other gainful occupation that requires the discharge of duties substantially similar to those duties that he or she was found, pursuant to Section 75060, to be unable to discharge efficiently because of his or her mental or physical disability, the retirement allowance otherwise payable to him or her shall cease permanently.
(e) Persons affected by this section shall report all compensation earned in a form and manner required by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System under penalty of perjury. The board shall have the authority to require these persons to grant the board permission to request wage information for the purposes of verifying the reported compensation earned. The Employment Development Department shall report compensation in a form and manner required by the board in accordance with Section 1798.24 of the Civil Code. The board shall reimburse the Employment Development Department for the costs that the department incurs in searching for and providing that information.
(f) When a person described in subdivision (c) reaches the age at which he or she would have been eligible for retirement, pursuant to Section 75025, had he or she not incurred the disability, his or her retirement allowance shall be made equal to the amount it would be if not reduced under that subdivision, and shall not again be modified for any cause.
(g) A judge who is retired for disability or becomes entitled to any salary for assignment to a court by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council after retirement under Section 75060 shall not be eligible to receive service credit in another public retirement system or under this chapter or to be reinstated to this system.
(h) The Legislature reserves the right to increase or reduce the benefits prescribed by this section as it may find appropriate.
(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 671, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2000.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018