<p>A Bibb County assistant magistrate judge who was put on administrative leave nearly two years ago for allegedly receiving unauthorized "love offerings" has continued to draw a paycheck from the county since then.</p><p>Judge Dorothy Pertilla was placed on administrative leave in July 2004 after Macon police investigators accused her of illegally accepting "love offerings" for performing marriage ceremonies during business hours. State law allows judges to accept fees for weddings they perform during their off hours but not while they are on duty and working for the county.</p><p>Bibb County Chief Administrative Officer Steve Layson said Pertilla has continued to be paid since she was suspended, The Telegraph of Macon reported Friday. Pertilla's annual salary is about $58,000, Layson said.</p><p>Neither the chief magistrate judge nor the county's administrator accepted responsibility for the situation.</p><p>"It was not my decision," said Chief Magistrate Judge William Randall.</p><p>"It has nothing to do with the (county) commissioners," said Layson.</p><p>Houston County District Attorney Kelly Burke, special prosecutor in the case, said he agreed last April to drop the criminal charges against Pertilla and let the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission decide her fate.</p><p>But Burke said Randall told him then that Pertilla had exhausted all of her annual leave and would not be paid while awaiting trial.</p><p>"I was assured by Judge Randall that she was without pay," Burke said. "And that's what I put in the letter that I sent to the JQC. I asked that she continue to be on leave-without-pay status, pending the JQC decision."</p><p>Randall, who announced his bid for re-election Thursday afternoon in his chambers at the Bibb County Courthouse, said he knew Pertilla was still being paid because that was what the judicial commission ordered.</p><p>"The decision was made by the (JQC)," he said.</p><p>Judge Steve C. Jones, chairman of the state's judicial commission, said he could not comment on any case that may or not be under consideration by the commission.</p><p>"At this point right now ... I can't say whether or not we even have a case on Judge Pertilla," he said.</p><p>Franklin J. Hogue, Pertilla's attorney, told the Telegraph on Wednesday that his client had resigned from the bench effective Monday, but as of Thursday she she was still on the county payroll.</p><p>Hogue said Thursday he had mistakenly believed a letter he sent to the Judicial Qualifications Commission detailing his client's intention to resign was the only notification state and local officials needed to terminate Pertilla's employment.</p><p>An official letter of resignation will be filed by the end of the month, he said.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cdc2a0)</p>
