Mon Sep 09 14:44:00 UTC 2024: ## Veteran Judge Pauline Newman Suspended Again Amid Concerns Over Mental Fitness
**Washington, D.C. -** Judge Pauline Newman, a highly respected jurist on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, has been suspended from hearing cases for another year, extending the initial suspension that began in September 2023. The decision was made by the Federal Circuit’s judicial council based on concerns about her “cognitive state.”
The council adopted the recommendation of a special committee appointed to investigate the matter, which concluded that evidence “showing troubling signs of cognitive decline” had been presented. This evidence, according to the committee, includes “angry and abusive behavior towards staff,” and “increasingly erratic behavior” in 2023.
Judge Newman, who turned 97 in June, has refused to cooperate with the investigation, declining to participate in a probe of her mental fitness. She has also refused to submit to medical evaluations, provide medical records, and sit for an interview, instead relying on the opinions of two doctors who maintain her fitness for the job.
Her attorney, Gregory Dolin, has criticized the suspension as an “impeachment by subterfuge” and plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability. Newman herself has alleged bias and hostility from the special committee in its handling of the matter.
This case highlights the complex issues surrounding the evaluation and handling of senior judges’ fitness for office. While investigations into federal judges are rare, some legal experts argue they should occur more frequently.
The suspension adds another layer to a growing debate on the challenges of balancing the right to due process with concerns about the cognitive abilities of senior judges.
First Piper 