The state Judiciary will not support Gov. Linda Lingle's proposed pay freeze for judges and will ask the Legislature this month to fund 10 percent salary hikes scheduled for July 1.

The new raises would come on top of 13.5 percent pay hikes received by judges over the past two years.

The July 1 raises would increase judges' salaries to a high of $181,476 for Chief Justice Ronald Moon, to $148,548 for Family Court judges.

Judiciary spokeswoman Marsha Kitagawa said the pay raises — including another 3.5 percent bump next year and 10 percent more in 2011 — are mandated under a state Salary Commission report that was adopted by the Legislature, and approved by Lingle, in 2007.

"Accordingly, the Hawai'i State Judiciary will be asking the 2009 Legislature to fund these increases," Kitagawa said in a written statement.

The Salary Commission report recommended increases for all top officials in the executive and legislative branches of state government, including a 35.7 percent pay raise for legislators that took effect yesterday. Legislators' annual salaries jumped from $35,900 last year to $48,708.

On Dec. 21, Lingle called for a two-year salary freeze for executive state officials, judges and legislators. The freeze would affect 208 people and save more than $4 million, she said.

"We are asking our state employee unions to forgo proposing raises in the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations," the governor said when proposing the freeze. "Thus, it is important that state leaders also make sacrifices and lead by example."

Lingle also said the Salary Commission made its recommendations almost two years ago when economic conditions were much different.

Judiciary spokeswoman Kitagawa said, "The salary increases must occur unless the Legislature passes a law negating the raises for all of the officials as established by the commission on salaries."

Lingle's office referred questions on the Judiciary's position to Marie Laderta, director of the state Department of Human Resources, who echoed that the pay freezes recommended by Lingle last month can be accomplished only if the Legislature changes current law.

Attempts to reach Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), and House Speaker Calvin Say, D-20th (St. Louis Heights, Palolo Valley, Wilhelmina Rise), this week for comment on the pay freeze issue were unsuccessful.

In October, Say said he would press fellow Democrats to refuse the 36 percent pay raise because of Hawai'i's tight budget.

Hanabusa defended the raise in October, noting some lawmakers earn less than their office managers.

Hanabusa said that if the Legislature decides to reject the increase for legislators, it would also deny raises to other top state officers, including the governor, lieutenant governor, agency heads and judges.

HALF-DAYS OFF GRANTED

In addition to diverging from Lingle's pay-freeze proposal, Chief Justice Moon also disagreed with the governor's decision last month to deny executive branch employees their traditional half days of paid leave on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

In a Nov. 3 memo to court administrators, Moon granted the half-day administrative leaves "to all salaried employees who can be spared from their duties" while still keeping courts and judiciary offices open during regular business hours.

While Lingle cited budgetary shortfalls to justify cancellation of the traditional holiday leaves, Kitagawa cited the same reason to justify Moon's granting of the leaves to court workers.

"It is because of the current economic difficulties that Chief Justice Moon granted a half-day administrative leave each for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve," Kitagawa said in a written statement this week.

"Given the current budget and its dismal outlook, the Judiciary has in place a statewide moratorium on certain expenditures, including overtime, new hires, travel, PC purchase and employee training (unless funded by grants or other appropriate means)," Kitagawa wrote.

More cuts are expected and Judiciary workers will be "doing more with less for the foreseeable future," Kitagawa continued.

Continuing the half-day holiday leaves "is one way Chief Justice Moon chose to show his appreciation for the Judiciary's hard-working employees," said Kitagawa, pointing out that county and federal employees also received the half-days off.