Article 3 - Community Property

California Government Code — §§ 75550-75553

Sections (4)

Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 879, Sec. 11. Effective September 27, 1994. Operative November 9, 1994, by Sec. 16 of Ch. 879.

In this article, unless the context indicates otherwise:

(a)“Member” means a judge as defined in Section 75502.

(b)“Nonmember” means the spouse or former spouse of a member, who as a result of petitioning the court for the division of community property has been awarded a distinct and separate account reflecting specific monetary credits, specific credited service, and accumulated contributions.

(c)“Court” means the court with jurisdiction over the marriage.

§ 75551

Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 482, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997.

(a)If a member’s marriage is dissolved or a member and his or her spouse are legally separated while the member is an active judge, the court shall make the following determinations:

(1)The number of years of service that accrued during the marriage of the member and nonmember, down to the date of their separation.

(2)The date of the parties’ separation.

(3)If the member had been a judge for fewer than five years on the date of separation, the court shall determine the member’s and nonmember’s shares of the judge’s contributions to the fund, based on Section 2610 of the Family Code, and on the law generally applicable to property earned during marriage.

(4)If the member had been a judge for five years or more on the date of separation, the court shall determine the member’s and nonmember’s shares of the judge’s monetary credits that have accrued pursuant to Section 75520, based on Section 2610 of the Family Code, and on the law generally applicable to property earned during marriage. The monetary credits include the credits computed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 75520 computed to the date the court finds appropriate.

(b)The determinations made pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) and pursuant to paragraph

(3)or (4) of subdivision (a) shall be included in the judgment of dissolution or separation. The system shall deem any portion of the judge’s contributions or of the judge’s monetary credits that were not allocated by the judgment to the nonmember, to be allocated to the member.

(c)Promptly after receiving a certified copy of a judgment dissolving the marriage of a member or legally separating a member and nonmember and allocating shares of the member’s contributions pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), the fund shall pay to the nonmember the amount allocated to him or her in the judgment. The nonmember shall have no further interest in the fund.

(d)Promptly after receiving a certified copy of a judgment dissolving the marriage of a member or legally separating a member and nonmember and allocating shares of the member’s monetary credits pursuant to paragraph (4) of

subdivision (a), the fund shall pay to the nonmember the amount allocated to him or her in the judgment. The nonmember shall have no further interest in the fund.

(e)The amount of the payment pursuant to subdivision (c) or (d) shall be subtracted from the member’s monetary credits as computed pursuant to Section 75520. Until the amount is redeposited pursuant to Section 75552, the additional credits accorded pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 75520 shall be computed on the amount so reduced.

§ 75552

Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 237, Sec. 11. (AB 2472) Effective January 1, 2015.

(a)After payment of a portion of the member’s contributions to a nonmember pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 75551, the member may redeposit the full amount in the fund at any time before he or she retires or otherwise leaves judicial office. The redeposit shall include interest at the rate of interest then being required to be paid by members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System under Section 20750 from the date of payment to the date of redeposit. A partial redeposit shall not be accepted.

(b)After payment of a portion of the member’s monetary credits to a nonmember pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 75551, the member may redeposit the full amount in the fund at

any time before he or she retires or otherwise leaves judicial office. The redeposit shall include interest at the greater of:

(1)the rate of interest then being required to be paid by members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System under Section 20750 from the date of payment to the date of redeposit; or (2) the compounded amounts that would have been credited to the member’s monetary account pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 75520 had the payment not been made to the nonmember. A partial redeposit shall not be accepted.

§ 75553

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 117, Sec. 11. (AB 2770) Effective January 1, 2025.

(a)If a member leaves judicial office after a nonmember has received a share of the member’s contributions or a share of the member’s monetary credits pursuant to Section 75551, the member’s retirement fund rights shall be determined pursuant to this section.

(b)If the member has redeposited the amount paid to the nonmember, with interest, pursuant to Section 75552, the payment to the nonmember shall be ignored and the member’s rights shall be determined as though the payment to the nonmember had not occurred; and subdivisions (c), (d), and (e) shall not apply.

(c)If the member leaves judicial office before accruing at least five years of service, the member shall be paid the dollar amount of the

member’s contributions to the system minus the amount paid to the nonmember, and no other amount.

(d)If the member leaves office after accruing five or more years of service and either:

(1)elects, pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 75522, to receive the amount of the member’s monetary credits; or (2) is entitled, pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 75521 to receive only the amount of the member’s monetary credits, the member shall be paid the amount of the member’s monetary credits as provided in Section 75521 or subdivision (e) of Section 75522, reduced as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 75551.

(e)If the member elects to retire and receive a monthly allowance pursuant to either subdivision (d) of Section 75522 or Section 75522.5, the judge’s monthly allowance shall equal the monthly allowance that would have been payable pursuant to subdivision (d) of

Section 75522 or Section 75522.5, as applicable, based on the judge’s service and salary, multiplied by a fraction equal to:

(f)If, notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 75551, the judgment did not specify the number of years of service that accrued during the marriage or other necessary facts, the system may make its own

determination in order to make the computation in subdivision (e).