Overview

• A three-judge special committee and an appeals panel unanimously approved a third one-year suspension for Judge Pauline Newman after she declined to undergo mandated neuropsychological testing.
• The panel determined that Newman’s articulate courtroom appearances and her doctors’ reports did not justify bypassing standardized cognitive assessments.
• Experts retained by the committee concluded that CT perfusion scans are not accepted for diagnosing cognitive impairment and noted Newman’s own physicians had not recommended full neuropsychological exams.
• Newman is appealing the dismissal of her lawsuit challenging the suspension and has vowed to continue her legal fight, arguing the process undermines due process and judicial independence.
• The year-long inquiry, initiated in March 2023 by peers concerned about her capacity, highlights tensions between internal oversight and lifetime tenure protections under Article III.