Klein v. EMPLOYEES'RETIREMENT SYS.

OPINION ANNOUNCING THE JUDGMENT OF THE COURT *

LARSEN, Justice.

Although it arises from complex legislation and protracted litigation, the principal issue raised in this appeal is really quite simple: may the legislature compensate judges of the same class/level of court (in this case, at the Common Pleas bench) who perform the same functions and duties at different rates of compensation based solely on the dates on which they began their respective terms of office. We hold that such different rates of compensation for judges creates unequal, arbitrary and unreasonable classifications of judges…