The oldest federal judge in America was recently suspended from taking over new cases.
According to the reports, a unanimous decision by the federal appeals court mandated that Judge 86-year-old Pauline Newman has to cooperate with an investigation into her health before she can resume taking cases.
Newman’s case raises issues similar to the continued debate about aged public servants who face up to retirement.
Previously, Newman was appointed to the Washington, DC District Court by President Reagan in 1984, when she was only in her late 50s.
Nearly four decades later, her colleagues believe she is no longer capable of performing her duties effectively.
Just this March, a court committee observed a massive drop in her workload, with numerous cases under her facing extensive delays, with one open for 624 days. The committee also noted signs and symptoms of cognitive impairment, leaving her new cases being withheld from her.
“She appeared to ‘suffer from impairment of cognitive abilities.'” United Voice reported.
As a result, her court initiated an investigation in April, alleging that Newman was neglecting her duties and now not addressing issues raised by means of fellow judges.
However, Newman refused to cooperate with the investigation or undergo medical assessments to assess her health for office. The controversy then escalated further after a misconduct investigation was launched against her.
“Newman refused to cooperate with the investigation or undergo medical tests to check her fitness for office, and the situation steadily escalated. The court opened a misconduct investigation over her non-cooperation.” The United Voice revealed.
Amid the controversy, the judge declined to accept “senior status” which would have allowed her to retire gracefully without formal resignation.
Moreover, an August report also accused her of “serious misconduct” and noted extra intellectual impairments, consisting of paranoia and indignant outbursts.
In response, Newman sued her colleagues, contending that her own court should not pass judgment on her.
Recently, the Washington, DC Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling. On September 20, it suspended Newman from taking new cases for a year or until she consents to a medical exam.
“This is not a fitting capstone to Judge Newman’s exemplary and storied career” the court announced, but later added they had no choice but to suspend her.
