Judge Zilly, 89, Defies Expectations as Seniors Forced Out (1)

When Washington-based Judge Thomas Zilly held the first federal jury trial-by-Zoom in 2020, his colleague Judge John Coughenour said the move would “cheapen” trials, urging a return to how things were “when Abraham Lincoln tried cases.”

Lincoln “would have applauded” the court’s innovation, Zilly hit back in a Seattle Times op-ed rebutting Coughenour’s.

Four years later, Coughenour allowed a witness to testify by video. “I hasten to say, I’m not sure I’m winning this debate,” Coughenour told Bloomberg Law. While he stands by his concerns, younger lawyers like the remote option, the judge said.

Zilly, turning 90 on Jan. ...