U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman, 96, was suspended from hearing cases after the Judicial Council of the Federal Circuit unanimously found that the judge’s refusal to submit to a mental examination was improper. Newman, a Ronald Reagan appointee, was, until the council’s order, the oldest federal judge still on the bench. (Screengrab via Youtube).
Pauline Newman, the oldest judge on the federal bench at age 97, continues to fight her suspension over mental health concerns — and she is now seeking to unseal documents relating to the accusations against her.
Newman was appointed in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and was the first judge appointed directly to the Federal Circuit where she “served with distinction” for almost 40 years. The judge, however, has refused to cooperate with an investigation into her mental health after her judicial colleagues reported concerning behaviors, delays in completing work, and habitual confusion.
The Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability conducted an investigation into Newman’s mental capacity and found “overwhelming evidence” of the judge’s memory loss, lack of comprehension, and confusion. The committee determined that the judge was often “frustrated, agitated, belligerent, and hostile towards court staff,” and directed her to undergo a 30-45 minute interview with a neurologist and a full neuropsychological examination.
Newman refused, and the committee responded with a suspension order that blocked Newman from receiving any new case assignments.
