Voorhees v. Sagadahoc County

**What Happened** Judge Voorhees worked for Sagadahoc County in Maine and was reelected to serve consecutive terms without any break in service. During his time in office, the county tried to reduce his salary. Voorhees argued this salary cut violated his employment contract and constitutional protections that prevent judicial pay from being reduced while a judge is serving. **What the Court Decided** The Maine Supreme Court ruled in favor of Judge Voorhees. The court found that the constitutional rule protecting judges from salary cuts applies to sitting judges who are reelected to consecutive terms without any interruption in their service. The court reversed the lower court's decision and determined that the county could not reduce Voorhees' pay. **Why This Matters for Workers** While this case specifically involved a judge, it reinforces important principles about employment contracts and salary protections. It shows that courts will enforce constitutional and contractual protections against pay cuts when workers have legitimate claims. For public employees especially, this decision demonstrates that employers cannot arbitrarily reduce compensation when legal protections exist, and that workers can successfully challenge unlawful salary reductions through the court system.