A 96 year old female judge in the United States is facing suspension and has been criticized for her unclear mind
On the 20th, 96-year-old female judge Paulina Newman of the United States Federal Circuit Court of Appeals received a collective decision from 11 colleagues: Newman will immediately suspend the handling of new cases for one year, because she is suspected to be mentally unclear, unable to perform her duties as a judge, and refuses to undergo medical examinations as required.
According to the Associated Press, the Judicial Committee of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, consisting of 11 colleagues from Newman, began investigating Newman's health status in March this year, stating that they have reason to worry that Newman's physical condition "hinders her effective performance of duties.". They said that court staff reported that Newman's brain was severely degraded, with symptoms such as amnesia, confusion, and delusions.
During the committee's investigation, Newman submitted two medical examination reports written by her chosen doctor, proving that she was in good mental and physical condition and capable of performing the job. However, the committee deemed that Newman's examination was not thorough enough and requested that she undergo a neurologist's examination and a 6-hour neuropsychological medical examination as recommended by the committee's advisor. This request was rejected by Newman. After making the decision to suspend Newman, the committee said that if Newman still refuses to undergo the aforementioned examination, her suspension period may be extended.
Newman, through his lawyer Greg Dorling, stated that he is dissatisfied with the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and will request relevant agencies to review the decision.
Newman said that the real reason why this committee investigated her was not her health condition and work ability, but rather her frequent disagreements with colleagues when dealing with patent cases. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals is responsible for hearing cases related to government contracts, patents, and registered trademarks.
Newman was nominated by then President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and appointed as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit after confirmation by the Senate. Federal judges in the United States generally serve for life.
The Bloomberg Legal Column website in the United States stated that investigations into the competence of federal judges have been conducted almost exclusively in secret, with unprecedented public investigations. This survey shows that the lifetime tenure system for federal judges is facing challenges.
Some scholars predict that as the average age of federal judges increases, similar surveys will become more frequent. A survey in 2020 showed that the average age of federal judges in the United States has risen to 69 years old.
