Federal Judge to Quit Bench; Cites Overwork
U.S. District Judge Raul Ramirez on Tuesday announced his resignation from the bench, citing low morale among federal judges and the decaying quality of the judiciary caused by overwork and low pay.
Choking back tears at one point, Ramirez, 45, said that he will become a partner in the business law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, which has offices in California and New York.
Ramirez, who lobbied to be a candidate for National Football League commissioner, was appointed to a lifetime term as a federal judge by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. Ramirez said his resignation would be effective Dec. 31.
“We’re on a treadmill,” Ramirez said, referring to a judge’s workload. “We’re running so fast, we don’t have time to think anymore.”
The annual pay of $89,500 also contributed to low morale among federal district court judges, Ramirez said.
“You cannot attract good, competent, qualified candidates for the position . . . by paying them one-third what they are worth, by working them 50% harder than you work anybody else, by cutting back on their staff support, by not giving them the tools to do their job,” Ramirez said.
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