Oldest Active Federal Judge Seeks Supreme Court to Lift Suspension A 98-year-old federal judge, who holds the distinction of being the oldest active judge in the U.S. judiciary, has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her suspension from hearing new cases. Judge Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is seeking to have the suspension lifted, arguing that the action violates her constitutional rights and undermines judicial independence. Newman, who will turn 99 in June, was suspended in 2023 by the Federal Circuit’s judicial council after refusing to undergo medical evaluations to assess claims of memory loss and confusion. The suspension effectively barred her from presiding over new cases, a move she contends is akin to an impeachment process reserved for Congress. In her petition, Newman asserts that the suspension threatens the principle of judicial independence and may infringe upon the separation of powers between branches of government. Her legal challenge centers on the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act, which grants judicial councils authority to investigate allegations of disability against federal judges. Newman argues that the act’s provisions are unconstitutional, as they enable councils to act as a form of impeachment without due process. She claims the law violates her right to a fair legal proceeding and undermines the independence of the judiciary. In August 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to review the bulk of Newman’s challenge to her suspension. The court’s decision, reported by the ABA Journal, left her petition unresolved, prompting her to seek higher judicial review.#us_supreme_court #judicial_conduct_and_disability_act #judge_pauline_newman #aba_journal #law360
98-year-old federal judge suspended for mental fitness appeals to Supreme Court Pauline Newman, a 98-year-old federal appeals judge suspended by her colleagues over concerns about her mental fitness, has asked the Supreme Court to step into her fight to resume hearing cases, her lawyers said Thursday. Three years ago, Newman’s fellow judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit prevented her from taking on new cases indefinitely. Newman has sued them, arguing it’s unconstitutional. The years-long battle has given a glimpse into how the judicial system grapples with issues of age on the bench, at a time when questions about elected officials’ mental fitness is looming large in Washington. Newman rejects the notion she is unfit to serve, and she wants the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that barred judicial review of her suspension. “Other judges who are watching what is happening to Judge Newman can only wonder if a similar fate will befall them if they fail to stay on the good side of their chief judge,” her petition reads. It has not yet been docketed. The Hill received a copy from Newman’s lawyers. The justices will review the request at a closed-door conference in the upcoming months. The high court chooses what cases it hears, and it turns away the vast majority without comment. Then-President Reagan nominated Newman to the newly created Federal Circuit in 1984. It hears appeals on specialty topics, such as intellectual property and government contracts. Newman became especially known for her opinions on patent law, earning her the nickname of the “Great Dissenter.” The Constitution guarantees federal judges their position and salary for life, unless they’re impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.#supreme_court #federal_circuit #pauline_newman #judicial_conduct_and_disability_act #new_civil_liberties_alliance
