S.C. Chief Justice Jean Toal has already tried unsuccessfully to increase salaries for top state officials (including herself), now she’s flagrantly abusing her power in an effort to stop local governments from reducing judicial salaries.
It’s yet another example of how everybody in government is out to protect their own turf – all while bitching and moaning about teachers being fired and criminals being let loose on the streets due to “budget cuts,” of course.
Seriously, what cuts? We spent $20 billion on state government last year and we’re going to spend $21 billion this year.
How is that a cut?
And local governments have hundreds of millions stashed away in carry-forward reserve balances … how are they all of a sudden hurting for cash?
Anyway, from La Socialista:
In a memorandum to county councils, county administrators and county attorneys statewide, S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal said although she is “well aware of the problems you are currently facing,” court officials’ salaries are “mandated by state law and cannot be compromised.”
“Any attempt to reduce the salaries of these court officials, either unilaterally or by consent, or asking them to write a check back to the county as reimbursement for compensation received, is contrary to state law,” Toal said.
We’re not trying to be disrespectful to her majesty, but this is frankly a long overdue question: Who the hell does this bitch think she is?
Really? Everybody else has to suffer except her little fiefdom?
By the way, is it just us or does “Queen Jean” sound exactly like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie when she talks?
Again, we’re not trying to be disrespectful, we just think she sounds exactly like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie when she talks.
It’s an observation, people. Discuss amongst yourselves.
By Fashizzle April 16, 2009 at 7:05 pm
How many cocktails did she have before fiing this memo out? And how many cars did she sideswipe while swerving it home?
By Calhoun Fawls April 17, 2009 at 5:44 am
The Chief Justice has little credibility. She fixed her own DUI hit and run years ago, something no member of the bar or the judiciary could do but her.
However, you won’t see any lawyers criticizing her. Two reasons for that. First, the Supreme Court runs the discipline. Second, the Chief Justice and her husband rub elbows with all the powerful firms in the state. A lawyer who makes them enemies can say goodbye to a big firm and a high paying job.
It is time to end this madness by following other states examples and taking lawyer and judicial discipline out the Supreme Court’s hands and placing it somewhere else.
By John Harwood April 17, 2009 at 8:07 am
To answer your question, I think Justice Toal thinks she’s the head of South Carolina’s unified judicial system, and by the way, she is. I’m not sure I get the point of this post insofar as its purpose is apparently to hack a memo sent by the Chief Justice instructing counties and municipalities to comply with the law in an area that falls squarly within her bailiwick: judicial pay.
It is my opinion that because you call her a “bitch” and you post similar comments about other public figures that you attract the sort of folks to this site who would call your wife a “whore.” Both remarks are offensive and despicable, and this is why I feel dirty after I read this site most every time.