98-Year-Old Judge Challenges Supreme Court on Suspension

0:00On March 13, a 98-year-old federal appeals judge has turned to the Supreme Court in her ongoing battle with colleagues who suspended her. From new cases, Pauline Newman, serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, argues the move sidelines a judge with Lifetime tenure, protected by the Constitution. The suspension started last September when the Court's Judicial Council barred her from hearing new cases for a year, with the possibility of... It stemmed from her refusal to submit to requested medical exams and records during a misconduct probe. Newman insists she's fit to serve, citing her own doctor's evaluations and claims the process violated her due process rights since her fellow judges. Both investigated and decided the case. Some lower court judges have shown sympathy for her view that only impeachment can remove a federal judge. Lower courts have so far rejected her challenges, citing precedent, but left key constitutional questions open.

1:01Now her petition asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on whether internal judicial discipline can effectively bench a tenure judge without real oversight. This case highlights tensions in how the judiciary handles fitness concerns for senior judges, with Newman's appeal potentially setting rules for, featured disputes.