(a) “Judge” means a justice of the Supreme Court or of a court of appeal, or a judge of a superior court, municipal court, or justice court who is first elected or appointed to judicial office on or after November 9, 1994, and is not a member of the Judges’ Retirement System pursuant to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 75000). A retired judge does not acquire status as a judge for the purposes of this chapter by reason of designation as a temporary judge of, or assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council to, any of these courts.

A former member of the Judges’ Retirement System under Section 75002 who withdrew his or her contributions upon leaving office, and who takes judicial office on or after November 9, 1994, becomes a member of the system existing under Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 75000) and does not become a member of the Judges’ Retirement System II. No person shall be a member of the Judges’ Retirement System II who is or ever has been a member of the Judges’ Retirement System pursuant to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 75000).

(b) “System” means the Judges’ Retirement System II established by this chapter.

(c) “Service” means the period of time a judge received a salary and made contributions to the system by reason of holding office as a judge of any one or more of the courts of this state specified in subdivision (a), computed in years and fractions of years.

(d) “Final compensation” means the average monthly salary of a judge during the 12 months immediately preceding his or her retirement from or otherwise leaving judicial office and as limited by Section 75572.

(e) “Benefit factor” means the percentage used in calculating a judge’s monthly retirement allowance under Section 75522.

(f) “Contributions” means the accumulated deductions from the judge’s salary under Sections 75601 and 75602. References to payment to a judge of his or her contributions or to the determination of a judge’s and spouse’s shares in the contributions include both the contributions and interest thereon at the rates determined by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

(g) “Salary” means the compensation received by a judge as the emolument of the office of judge, but does not include any additional compensation received by reason of designation as a temporary judge or assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council or the additional compensation pursuant to Section 68203.1.

(h) “Board” means the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

(i) “Fund” or “retirement fund” means the Judges’ Retirement System II Fund established pursuant to Section 75600.

(j) All references to “spouse,” “surviving spouse,” or “marriage” in this chapter apply equally to a domestic partner or domestic partnership, as defined in Section 297 of the Family Code, and all rights and responsibilities granted to a spouse or surviving spouse shall be granted equally to a domestic partner to the extent provided by Section 297.5 of the Family Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 833, Sec. 11. (SB 987) Effective January 1, 2013.)