Judge after judge on Friday warned the New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial & Executive Compensation gave dire predictions for the future of the state judiciary if the panel does not recommend pay parity with federal courts, or at least a model that kept pace with inflation.

"Further erosion of the value of judicial salaries would likely cause an exodus of our most experienced judges," Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas told the panel during a hearing at the New York City Bar Association in Manhattan. "I am not asking that you recommend that they receive a raise; certainly not as that term is generally understood. I'm simply asking that the value of their paychecks be restored to the level of their federal counterparts and not diminished over the next four years. It is the right thing to do and the state can afford to do it."