You almost have to read this twice.
A federal judge in Texas is accused of making racially charged remarks to a lawyer appearing before her. Now she has been temporarily barred from handling cases, and a Fifth Circuit committee has ordered her to undergo an independent psychiatric evaluation after concluding there was a reasonable basis to believe a mental condition might interfere with her ability to perform her duties. Judge Ada Brown denies having a mental illness, and the investigation is ongoing. (nypost.com)
But step back for a moment. The person who is supposed to bring order, fairness and impartiality to the courtroom is now at the center of a misconduct inquiry over what she allegedly said from the bench. A lawyer comes before a judge expecting to argue a case—not to become the target of personal and racial accusations from the very person who controls the courtroom.
How does that happen? How does a judge, entrusted with extraordinary power over other people’s lives and livelihoods, lose sight of the basic obligation to treat everyone before the court with dignity? And how many people left that courtroom wondering whether justice had anything to do with what they had just witnessed?
The psychiatric evaluation is a serious step, not a punchline or proof of anything by itself. It must be handled fairly, and the allegations must be examined carefully. But the larger question is impossible to ignore: when concerns this grave arise about a judge’s conduct and ability to serve, who protects the public’s confidence in the court?
A robe does not place anyone above scrutiny. Judges are human, and they deserve due process. But the public is also entitled to expect that the people wielding judicial power can do so with restraint, fairness and basic respect. When the judge becomes the story, the damage reaches far beyond one courtroom.
