Judge Ends Slowdown on Pay Hike

A federal judge has bowed to his conscience--and a public outcry--and halted a work slowdown he used to protest Congress’ refusal to give him a 50% pay raise.

“I didn’t sleep too well as it began to dawn on me that I was going after the wrong people,” said U.S. District Judge Carl B. Rubin, who ended his slowdown Monday. “Maybe I was letting my anger affect my judgment.

“I was getting bothered,” he said. “When you’re having an argument with yourself and you keep losing, that tells you something. The second you admit that, you know you’re wrong.”

Rubin, 68, began slowing down the speed with which he hears civil cases last Thursday after Congress rejected a pay raise for its members and for federal judges. He contended that his $89,500 salary buys less than the $40,000 he made when he became a judge 17 years ago.

While Rubin said other judges and lawyers supported his protest, the general public did not. His office was besieged with angry phone calls and letters.

“I really didn’t expect the attention that this thing got,” he said. “The phone was ringing off the hook.”