Missouri judges are getting a pay increase this year even though lawmakers didn't set money aside for the raises.
Supreme Court, court of appeals, circuit and associate circuit judges are getting paid about 1 percent more than last year.
Supreme Court spokeswoman Beth Riggert says money from six unfilled positions was used for the raises, which total about $538,000 for the budget year that began July 1.
The pay increase is based on a 2010 state board recommendation that tied state judges' pay to their federal counterparts' salaries.
Some lawmakers questioned the pay bump for judges because it didn't have legislative approval. Others said the 5-year-old recommendation from the Citizens' Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials means the state must continue to tie state judges' pay to federal judiciary salaries.
