Medical Exam Demands and Aging Judges: Newman Saga Explained

New details in a probe examining whether the Federal Circuit’s oldest and longest-serving member is fit to remain on the bench highlight issues about anti-discrimination protections in the judiciary and efforts to obtain medical information about the judge.

Judge Pauline Newman, 95, has refused to voluntarily comply with requests that she undergo a neurology exam and release medical records that could help explain “observed changes” in her behavior that led to the investigation.

The clash between Newman and her colleagues on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has sparked renewed attention on the consequences of lifetime ...