Amid growing concerns about aging politicians in the United States, the U.S. judiciary issued a suspension order to a judge, even though he holds the position for life.
According to US public radio station NPR and the Washington Post (WP), the US Judicial Council last week issued a one-year suspension order to 96-year-old Judge Pauline Newman. If Judge Newman conducts a medical examination at the Judicial Committee’s request, his suspension order could be overturned, but if he continues to defy the order, the suspension order could be renewed for another year.
The Judiciary Committee said, “Unfortunately, since the beginning of this year, doubts have grown about Judge Newman’s suitability to carry out his duties. “There is overwhelming evidence that Judge Newman may be suffering from serious mental problems, including memory loss, lack of comprehension, and confusion that may prevent him from performing basic tasks that he was previously able to perform smoothly,” he said.
In particular, the Judiciary Committee pointed out that Judge Newman was showing signs of paranoia, such as claiming that his email and computer were hacked or his cell phone was wiretapped.
The Judiciary Committee found that Judge Newman committed serious misconduct by refusing to undergo two independent medical examinations as requested by the Judiciary Commission’s order in May, and made this decision after more than 20 inquiries with Judge Newman’s staff at the court. He explained that he got off.
WP explained, “The medical examination requested by the Judiciary Committee is a neurophysical examination that includes a six-hour cognitive test,” and “Judge Newman was also instructed to submit medical records and participate in an interview with the Judiciary Committee panel.”
Accordingly, Newman’s lawyers are protesting that the neurologist’s statement that ‘cognitive function is sufficient to perform work’ and the report that Newman’s activity level did not decrease were ignored.
The Judiciary Committee’s decision came at a time when President Joe Biden (80) and former President Donald Trump (77) are running again in next year’s presidential election, but voters are demanding a generational change among older politicians.
In a poll conducted last month by SSRS, an American public opinion polling agency, 73% of respondents said they were “very worried” about President Biden’s mental and physical abilities, and 76% said they would not serve out their term even if President Biden is re-elected. He responded that he was ‘very worried’ about whether he would be able to fill it.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.