We want all public servants to be paid adequately. To reward them for their service. To compete with the private sector for talent. To pay for expertise. To incentivize smart people to go into government. To remove temptations to accept bribes. I would argue that judges especially need to be well paid, given their role at the center of dispute processes and the training needed to navigate the law. It's more important to have a smart judge than a smart governor.

Now everybody seems to agree that Maryland judges need a raise, as recounted by Megan Poinski of MarylandReporter.com in the Daily Record. Here are current Maryland judge salaries. Inadequate or not?

Current judicial salaries in Maryland are:

- $162,352 for Court of Appeals judges, making them the 17th best-paid high court judges. The chief judge is paid $181,352. But adjusted for cost of living in Maryland, those salaries are equivalent to $129,944 and $145,151.

- $149,552 for Court of Special Appeals judges, earning a ranking as the 15th-best paid intermediate appellate judges. The chief judge makes $152,552. Adjusted for cost of living, those salaries are $119,700 and $122,100.

- $140,352 for Circuit Court judges, earning a ranking as the 17th-best paid trial court judges in the nation. However, with cost of living factored in, that paycheck is equivalent to $112,336.

- District Court judges were not included in the survey, but they are paid $127,252. Adjusted for cost of living, that is $101,850.

Source: National Center for State Courts