It's been almost four months since the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit launched an investigation into the fitness for service of one of its own judges, the 96-year-old Pauline Newman.

Newman's colleagues believe she is physically and mentally unfit to sit on the bench and that she is refusing to cooperate in their investigation. For her part, Newman denies the accusations and has shown no sign that she's ready to retire from the post she's held for nearly 40 years.

On this episode of our weekly podcast, On The Merits, we hear from Newman herself about why she doesn't want to retire, why she thinks her fellow judges are going after her, and about what she can still contribute to the federal justice system.

Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.