She was appointed in 1984 by then US President Ronald Reagan and until Wednesday was another active US federal judge: 96-year-old Pauline Newman. But now too many of her colleagues had complained about her: they said she was too slow, too confused and too argumentative. Newman was suspended for that reason, but she doesn’t want to leave it behind.
The oldest US federal judge, aged 96, was suspended on Wednesday amid questions about her mental competency after refusing an exam. An interview with staff allegedly revealed evidence that the judge “may be suffering from significant mental problems – including memory loss, lack of understanding and confusion,” the judicial council said.
First suspended for a year
Colleagues complained that Newman worked too slowly and was often confused, nervous and argumentative. Although her workload has already been reduced, Newman takes four times as long as other judges to rule on cases.
Because the 96-year-old refused an examination by a court-selected neurologist and psychiatrist, she was suspended for a year. The Judicial Council said the suspension could be extended if she continued to refuse to cooperate.
The judge responds with her own report
Newman himself described the decision as illegal and the result of personal animosity. Newman’s hired psychiatrist, Regina Carney, had stated that “Judge Newman has no significant emotional, medical, or psychiatric disability that would impair the performance of her duties as a judge.”
The incident could reignite the debate over the age of many people in positions of responsibility in the US – including many politicians.
The age debate has been in politics for a long time
81-year-old Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently made headlines with press conference failures. Three other senators are even older than McConnell, including Republican Chuck Grassley (89) and Democrat Dianne Feinstein (90).
Age is also an important issue in the run-up to next year’s presidential elections. Incumbent President Joe Biden is 80 years old, while his possible Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump, is 77 years old.
Source: Krone

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