Federal Circuit Extends Judge Newman’s Suspension Another Year Despite Three Doctors Finding Her Competent

That isn’t judicial discipline. It’s a vendetta dressed up as procedure.

⚖️ Judicial Independence Under Siege

The Constitution says that federal judges hold office during “good Behaviour” and can only be removed through impeachment. Congress designed impeachment to protect the public from corruption and incapacity, but also to shield judges from exactly this sort of backroom takedown by their peers.

Yet the Judicial Council has now created an end-run around that safeguard. By branding Newman’s refusal to comply with their invasive demands as “continuing misconduct,” they can keep renewing her suspension indefinitely. As Judge Newman herself put it, this is nothing less than “ersatz impeachment” — an unconstitutional attempt to force her out of office without Congress ever casting a vote.

Even the D.C. Circuit recently admitted that this suspension “threatens the principle of judicial independence and may violate the separation of powers.” That’s not my opinion — that’s a federal appeals court raising a red flag.