NY State Judges Cleared To Take Second Jobs

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York's judges will be allowed to take on second jobs after 12 years without a raise.

Strict conflict-of-interest rules make it difficult for judges to moonlight in other legal industry jobs. But Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman agreed to loosen the rules on a case-by-case basis.

The Daily News reports that Lippman recently said it was "obscene" that judges haven't been given raises. The holdup is due to a legislative standoff in Albany. Several former and current judges have sued to force the Legislature to give them more money.

Supreme Court justices make $136,700 a year.

(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)