► U.S. Judge Thomas Higgins of Nashville, TN; Greedy Geezer dies on Bench in 2018 Print

► U.S. Judge Thomas Higgins of Nashville, TN; Greedy Geezer dies on Bench in 2018

 

The state of Tennessee presented Thomas Aquinas Higgins with a law license in 1957 after he graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Law.

 

This Greedy Dead Geezer award is presented to the Oregon District Court judge who has distinguished himself or herself by refusing to retire from the bench when age eligible and instead opting to die on the bench to increase their salary and/or pension.

 

This Dead Greedy Geezer’s attributes are as follows.

  • DOB 1932
  • 86-years-old when died on bench on September 11, 2018
  • Appointed by Pres. Reagan to District Court in 1984
  • Assumed senior status on February 28, 1999

It should be noted that Tommy’s choice to take on senior status meant that he was only required to work 10 hours a week while continuing to collect 100% of a full-time judge’s annual salary, which as of 2018 would be $208,000. Put simply, Tommy was required to work a mere 10 hours a week for the eighteen (18) years until they carted him out of the courthouse in a wooden box.

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Maybe this explains why they kept defibrillators, jumper cables and oxygen tanks near Tommy’s courtroom after his 80th birthday.

 

Had he retired in 1996 when he was eligible, he would have received a lifetime annual pension of $133,600,00. However, by refusing to retire and opting to die on the bench, Tommy was entitled to all future pay increases, which subsequently added $74,400.00 to his annual wage and subsequent retirement.

 

I’m sure that almost all government employees would have been more than happy to have retired at age 65 with a lifetime pension of $133,600.00. Moreover, unlike every other federal employee, judges do not make any contribution to their retirement that pays them 100% of their annual salary.

 

I don’t know about you, but I would not be inclined to have had my legal matter to be decided by someone that was a

part timer and 86-years-old. And that’s not to mean that I have anything against senior citizens. However, for Congress to allow this to happen is farcical at best. Moreover, unlike every other federal employee, judges do not make any contribution to their retirement that pays them 100% of their annual salary.

 

And lastly, as you can see from the photo below and to the right, it only took one day after Dick died for his surviving family members to assemble to discard his belongings.