Politics & Government
Voters Reject Increase to Judges' Retirement Age
Rockland voters opposed the measure by a wide margin.
New York voters turned down a Constitutional Amendment that would have allowed judges on the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court to serve until they turned 80 years old.
About 60 percent of statewide voters opposed the measure. In Rockland County, 55 percent of voters said no.
New York City-based activist group Citizens Union was one large organization that opposed the measure.
In a statement, the group said "there is no principled reason for raising the retirement age for only two groups of judges – judges of the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court – and not having the same apply to the majority of the state's judges. Further, even the amendment's limited changes appear arbitrary."
Supporters said the current age limitation was outdated because of a longer life expectancy.
The New York Bar Association also supported the referendum.
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