A 97-year-old federal judge, who was suspended by a U.S. appeals court last year after being accused of incompetence due to age-related cognitive and physical decline, lost a lawsuit on Tuesday in an attempt to return to work. Judge Pauline Newman challenged the suspension decision made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which focuses on patent and trademark law and certain other matters, claiming that a law enacted in 1980, known as the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act, which outlines the process for removing judges, violates the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Christopher "Casey" Cooper rejected Newman's claims on Tuesday that the law infringes on her constitutionally protected due process rights. Cooper had previously dismissed other constitutional claims raised by Newman in February. Her attorney, Greg Dolan, told Reuters that Newman would appeal the ruling.
Representatives for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chief Judge Kimberly Moore of the Federal Circuit noted in orders published last year that Newman exhibited severe cognitive and physical weaknesses and accused her of refusing to cooperate with investigations related to her mental health.
Newman is the oldest sitting federal judge in the U.S. who does not hold a senior part-time position. She was appointed to the Federal Circuit by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and is a respected figure in patent law, frequently adjudicating cases involving major corporations.
