The following individuals are members of the Judges’ Retirement System: a judge of the Supreme Court of Maryland, Appellate Court of Maryland, circuit court of a county, or District Court of Maryland; a member of the State Workers’ Compensation Commission; and a magistrate in chancery or magistrate in juvenile causes who: was appointed by the circuit court of a county on or before June 30, 1989; and serves full time as a magistrate. A former judge who is temporarily assigned to sit in a court of the State under the authority of Article IV, § 3A of the Maryland Constitution is not a member.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a member’s contribution rate is 8% of the member’s earnable compensation. After 16 years of service as a member, a member does not make any further contributions.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, regular interest is payable on member contributions at the rate of 4% a year compounded annually, until retirement or withdrawal of the accumulated contributions. This subsection applies only to an individual who becomes a member of the Judges’ Retirement System on or after July 1, 2012. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no further interest shall be paid on member contributions after membership ends if the former member is not eligible to receive a vested allowance under Title 29, Subtitle 3 of this article. In this subsection, “active member” means a member who is not separated from employment with the State or a participating employer of one of the several systems. This subsection applies only to an individual who: is a former member of the Judges’ Retirement System; is not eligible to receive a vested allowance from the Judges’ Retirement System under Title 29, Subtitle 3 of this article; has not withdrawn the individual’s member contributions from the Judges’ Retirement System; and is an active member of one of the several systems. An individual described in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall receive regular interest at the rate described under subsection (a) of this section on the individual’s member contributions in a nonvested account in the Judges’ Retirement System while the individual is an active member of one of the several systems.

Membership ends if the member: is separated from employment for more than 4 years; withdraws the member’s accumulated contributions; becomes a retiree; or dies. A former member who withdraws accumulated contributions does not have further rights under the Judges’ Retirement System.