The federal courts are full of judges who could retire but won’t. Little can be done about it.
www.nbcnews.com
Democrats were able to get President Joe Biden to step aside after a pressure campaign. But it’s much more difficult to force out a federal judge.

Democrats were able to get President Joe Biden to step aside after a pressure campaign. But it’s much more difficult to force out a federal judge.

At the age of 97, Judge Pauline Newman is the oldest full-time federal judge on the bench, but despite concerns about her ability to do the job, her colleagues are struggling to get rid of her.

…

When Democrats decided after President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance that he was no longer fit to serve at the top of the ticket, a multifaceted pressure campaign was able to convince him to step aside.

But federal judges, as well as Supreme Court justices, have lifetime appointments and there is no easy process for easing them aside.

With people generally living longer, a lifetime appointment can now last many decades. The average age of a federal judge is 69, according to a recent study, and there is no clean way to force someone to step down.

  • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
    102·
    3 months ago

    You think? I don’t think 35 is too young. In fact, we don’t know because we’ve never tried. JFK was youngest at 43 and considered one of the best. Mid thirties is peak mental and physical health with enough time to foster education and experience in my view.

    For instance, if AOC became president after 35, she’d be fantastic independent of how slow the rest of the geriatrics around her hold her back.

    Ultimately if you can go to war, you should be able to run for office. Age maxes make more sense for several reasons than age minimums.

    • KevonLooney
      11·
      3 months ago

      JFK is not considered one of the best. He didn’t even have a full term, so there’s no way to know. People liked him because he was young and handsome and died that way.

      He started the Vietnam War. His only real test was the Cuban Missile Crisis. He did adopt Keynesianism economic policies (over more classical policies) and proposed the bill that became the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Those are all important, but he honestly wasn’t in office long enough to do much.

      And besides, like you said he was 43, not 35. AOC would not be able to do anything because she doesn’t have the relationships yet. Good presidents don’t come from the House of Representatives. They come from the Senate (JFK, Obama), Governors (FDR), or Vice Presidents (Harris).

      • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
        63·
        3 months ago

        https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/?page=overall

        Meanwhile JFK’s lowest approval-rating was 56%, which was the highest floor since being recorded.

        By all accounts, he is definitely considered one of the best. Perhaps not to you, but objectively, yes… One of the best, most popular Presidents in history.

        43 shows the trend; similarly with Obama. When we trend toward lower ages, they tend to be extremely popular and historically revered Presidents. Besides, we ultimately cannot say it doesn’t work until we actually try it.

        Who said she doesn’t have “relationships”? What Relationships, exactly? Biden had plenty of relationships and we had to give him the boot. Senate versus House, it makes no difference on the fundamental character of the individual. It’s weird to think you suddenly utilized JFK as a positive example and then Harris who has yet to prove herself (while simultaneously saying we can’t use JFK… because he didn’t finish a term and yet you’re using Harris who hasn’t had a term to begin with…?)