Upon the death of a judge before retirement there shall be paid to his or her beneficiary, if he or she has designated one, and if not, to his or her estate, in addition to any other benefits provided by this chapter or by Division 4 of the Labor Code, an amount equal to one-twelfth of the annual compensation of that judge during the 12 months immediately preceding his or her death, multiplied by the completed number of years of service as a judge, but not to exceed one-half of the judge’s annual compensation. The benefit accorded by this section is not payable if the deceased judge’s spouse survives him or her and is entitled to receive an allowance for life pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 664, Sec. 128.1. Effective January 1, 2003.)