AGING: 96-Year-Old Federal Judge Has Been Asked to Step Down. She Won’t. Should She Be Forced Out?

Should Newman quit? Her colleagues think she should. Newman never married and has no children. There is no family member to persuade her to step down. But should she? Newman was a brilliant woman. A brilliant scientist. A brilliant lawyer. A brilliant judge. Should she step down?

Her answer has been consistent. No, and hell no. In an hour-long interview with a Bloomberg reporter, Newman showed confidence and “full command” and answered complicated questions. No “minder” was in the room to help her either physically or with answering questions. She never said, “I don’t remember.” But Chief Judge Kimberly Moore clearly wants her out. And it has become personal. Newman sees her age as a lazy attack by Moore for her frequent dissents. In the span of 18 months, she wrote 23 concurring or dissenting opinions.

In the Bloomberg article, there is an embedded recording of Newman speaking to the reporter. Newman’s voice sounds “old,” but she is clearly in command and never sounds tired or confused. I’ve been around 96 year olds. An hour is a long time to keep them engaged, and Newman had no problem doing that. I’ve never liked bullies. And Newman seems to be a unicorn – a completely capable judge who happens to be 96 years old.

Remarkable.

UPDATE (FROM GLENN): Compare the way the Establishment is treating her, versus the way it’s covering for the Dotard-in-Chief, and you may well conclude that it’s the establishment that should be retired.