Sanctions Report for 96-Year-Old Judge Sparks Shock, Sadness

Sanctions that could sideline for a year the nation’s oldest active federal judge due to mental fitness concerns sent reverberations through the legal community.

A Federal Circuit special committee recommended that Judge Pauline Newman should be disciplined for refusing to comply with orders related to an investigation into her ability to perform her duties. The panel’s report, made public Aug. 4, provided significant new detail into the probe and the allegations that sparked it.

The investigation was already in the public eye in a way that’s unusual, since proceedings concerning the mental health of judges are often carried out discreetly. ...