Oldest Federal Judges

I was just discussing this on another board. This article is two years old but it's still useful for discussion's sake. Does anyone but me think that there should be a mandatory retirement age for these guys? I'd like to hear from TB, Oli, Klyd and Don T in particular.

http://www.businessinsider.com/20-oldest-federal-judges-2012-7

What about me? You don't want to hear from me? I'm smaht, I'm not dumb. I can handle things, I'm smaht.

Those old guys are too judgmental.

Depends on their judgment (no pun intended). My experience with people in their nineties is that if they're still mentally sharp, they've achieved wisdom that you and I can only dream about. That's especially true of judges who accumulate much knowledge and wisdom of the law in all those decades. There are procedures in place to remove judges who are no longer mentally competent--it shows up pretty quick.

These guys are mostly senior judges who have reduced caseloads. Major litigation has so much material involved that the judge's stamina can become an issue.

I'd be more inclined that judge's terms be limited by number of years rather than age, but that's more or less prohibited by the Constitution and I don't think it's high on anyone's list to change.

that isn't the only issue with federal judges, they have a lifetime appointment, the only way to get them off the bench is to go before congress. that should be changed. no one else in government has a lifetime appointment that I know of.

the age issue is simple, 75 years old should be forced retirement age.

I just got an email from our friend Carmela. Her Dad worked as a Federal Court Clerk here in New York for thirty years, and as a teenager she actually got to sit through portions of The Commission trial. Anyway, she wanted to remind me that the judge in that case, Richard Owen, is still sitting on the bench today.

I had to Google him to refresh my memory, and coincidentally he turned 92 years old just yesterday. Oh, and by the way, this is the same judge who ruled that John Lennon could remain in the United States back in the early '70s.

@Carm: If I f****d that up it's your own fault for not checking in sooner. You know how useless I am after I break the seal on the Ketel One .

Actually, the Constitution states that federal judges shall serve during good behavior. Federal judges can be subjected to the Impeachment Process and removed from the bench. About 15 have been so subjected although only 8 have been removed from office, the latest in 2010.

Most states have mandatory retirement ages that apply to state judges. It's 70 in many states and 75 in Texas.

I had the understanding, that federal judges have to be impeached and only congress can remove them. and they do have a lifetime appointment. just as supreme court justices,

the life time appointment should be changed, and a 10 year maximum for federal judges imposed.

That's a very good idea. But it will probably never happen.

Well, I'll try this again since I posted same just a few post above:

Actually, the Constitution states that federal judges shall serve during good behavior. For tenure purposes, Article III doesn't distinguish between Supreme Court judges and those of inferior federal courts. They all can be subjected to the Impeachment Process and removed from the bench. About 15 have been so subjected although only 8 have been removed from office, the latest in 2010.

It needs too it just goes to show "the abuse of power" in our system, then these guys have 3rd generation nimrods with a sense of entitlement.

What time do you start drinking Ketel One?

That's fine, Oli. But what do you think? Should there be a mandatory retirement age for Federal Judges or not?

I find no virtue associated with a retirement age for any appointed judges. Longevity connotes knowledge and experience. There has been a large number of federal judges who have been subjected to investigations. However, as I stated in a prior post, only about 15 have been subjected to the Impeachment Process and only about 8 of those were removed from office. Of those so subjected, I don't recall that any were older than about 70.

PB, Ketel One? You drink that swill? One step above Absolut (aka Absolutely Shit). Tito's Homemade - made in Texas. Oli will approve. Here come the judge, here come the judge. Another outdated entry on the American books. Let's blow up this constitution and reassemble the parts. The foundation is sound, but the evolution has mutated.

Don't bust my balls, MC (you know I'm kidding ).

I like it, though. But then again, I usually drink vodka gimlets made with Rose's lime juice. And that piss colored juice is so deliciously tart that it doesn't matter. And when I drink martinis, I drink real martinis (read: gin), so it's not an issue.

I drank Grey Goose for awhile back in the '90s. I gave it up when the French didn't support us after 9/11 (and in this case, I'm not kidding, so call me crazy).

I don't disagree with that at all, Oli. But having a sharp mind has nothing to do with being "out of touch." My Dad is 85 now, and although his body is starting to betray him a bit, his mind is as sharp as ever. But he's a good example of what I'm taking about.

Here's a guy who was born in 1929, the year the stock market crashed. He grew up during the depression, joined the service in between WW2 and the Korean War, and served in the latter conflict. He's very open-minded for a Bronx born Italian American of his generation. But he's just too set in his ways to be impartial.

Maybe it's all moot because my Dad isn't an educated man anyway. But education and intelligence have nothing to do with each other. He's still the smartest guy I know. But I wouldn't want him sitting on the bench .