Washington Letter October 2012

Federal Government

Federal Circuit Court decides in favor of judges in judicial pay case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled this month that Congress violated the Constitution’s compensation clause when it blocked cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for federal judges in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999, and that Congress improperly withhold COLAs in 2007 and 2010 based on erroneous interpretation of a statute.