The County Commission on Wednesday approved taking $72,341 out of the rainy day fund to pay attorneys to fill in for two ailing General Sessions Court judges.
The attorneys and municipal judges will be paid $70 per hour.
Judge Clarence Shattuck said Judge David Bales has been out since early October with a serious illness involving his throat. He said he is due to see his doctor in the middle of next month concerning returning to the bench.
The judge said Judge Lila Statom took a fall and is facing surgery on Feb. 13.
Judge Statom said afterward, "I'm working full-time. I went to physical therapy during lunch. I will be off hopefully only two weeks for my surgery. When I first fell on the trampoline, I took off one week to have an MRI and see three doctors.
"I was in court on Wednesday except for a 45-minute lunch and 10-minute morning break."
Judge Shattuck said four municipal judges as well as attorneys have been filling in on a volunteer basis for many months.
However, he said it was felt it was unfair to continue not to pay them.
He said the money would not all go to one or two attorneys, but would be spread around on a rotating basis. He said there are about 15 attorneys on a list to sit in the criminal division and about another 15 available for the civil division as needed.