A judicial investigative committee on Tuesday urged U.S. District Judge Ada Brown to explain why she emailed confidential court records to approximately 140 people over the weekend. The committee, acting as part of a judicial misconduct inquiry, requested the explanation and information regarding a "parallel investigation" Brown cited as her reason for withdrawing from an interview with investigators.
The inquiry began after a three-judge panel determined Brown may suffer from a mental condition that interferes with her official duties. Documents released by the 5th Circuit Judicial Council cited "bizarre emails" and "racial insults" as evidence that Brown had "abandoned her post." On September 21, the committee ordered Brown to undergo a psychiatric examination, and on September 29, the council reassigned her current cases and halted new assignments to her court.
According to the committee's Tuesday order, Brown sent an email after 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2026, rejecting a request for an interview scheduled for October 30. She reportedly claimed participation would compromise an outside investigation, though the committee stated it has no knowledge of such a probe. Following that email, the committee said Brown distributed sealed documents from her own misconduct case and two unrelated attorney-discipline matters to judges, attorneys, and members of the press.
The committee has set a deadline of October 27 for Brown to provide information on the purported parallel investigation and to justify the distribution of sealed records. If she continues to decline participation, the panel stated it will complete the investigation and submit recommendations to the judicial council without her input. The committee also noted it would evaluate whether her refusal to cooperate constitutes an independent act of misconduct. Brown has not yet responded to requests for comment.