§ 8-3-16 — Retirement contribution.


    Judges engaged after December 31, 1989 shall have deducted from total salary beginning December 31, 1989 an amount equal to a rate percent of compensation as specified in § 36-10-1 relating to member contributions to the state retirement system. Proceeds deposited shall be held in trust for the purpose of paying retirement benefits to participating judges or their beneficiaries. The retirement board shall establish rules and regulations to govern the provisions of this section. A member of the judiciary who withdraws from service or ceases to be a member for any reason other than death or retirement, shall be paid on demand a refund consisting of the accumulated contributions standing to his or her credit in his or her individual account in the judicial retirement benefits account. Any member receiving a refund shall thereby forfeit and relinquish all accrued rights as a member of the system together with credits for total service previously granted to the member; provided, however, that if any member who has received a refund shall subsequently reenter the service and again become a member of the system, he or she shall have the privilege of restoring all money previously received or disbursed to his or her credit as refund of contributions. Upon the repayment of the refund as herein provided, the member shall again receive credit for the amount of total service which he or she had previously forfeited by the acceptance of the refund.