Judge Pauline Newman Loses Bid to Return

Judge Pauline Newman, a 97-year-old federal judge suspended due to cognitive and physical impairment, lost her lawsuit to return to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled against Newman's claims that her suspension violated constitutional rights, prompting her attorney to announce an upcoming appeal. The Federal Circuit's judicial council had suspended Newman for refusing mental health evaluations, sparking a public debate on judicial fitness. Newman, a respected figure in patent law since her appointment by President Reagan in 1984, remains at the center of this legal and constitutional dispute.