The doctor who sued a state probate judge in federal court was among the featured speakers at the “#FreeBritney” Spears rally in front of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles when the pop star’s guardianship ended.
“The abuse of the elderly and people with disabilities that happens under court-appointed guardianship must stop,” said Dr. Sheila Owens-Collins, a pediatrician and physician executive.
On November 12, Spears was released from a court-appointed conservatorship that was placed on her thirteen years ago after she experienced a nervous breakdown. Like Owens-Collins, Spears is taking action to hold those responsible accountable.
According to media reports, Spears is seeking an investigation of her father, Jamie Spears, who acted as her guardian.
“Britney Spears’ case is just the tip of the iceberg,” Owens-Collins told Dallas Express. “There are countless numbers of other innocent people who are being unconstitutionally detained in care centers by probate courts and court professionals across the country.”
Owens-Collins sued Judge Michael Newman last year in the Southern District of Texas federal court, accusing him of turning a blind eye to alleged estate trafficking and elder abuse of her 91-year-old mother, Mrs. Hattie Owens. Mrs. Owens was under court supervision when she died in 2019 after allegedly being forced into hospice prematurely.
Newman argued that he is entitled to judicial immunity.
“It is convenient to use judicial immunity as a way to support his conclusion that I am not entitled to relief, but there are enough doubts about whether or not such immunity will be available to warrant allowing the case to proceed through the discovery stage,” Owens-Collins said.
As previously reported in USA Today, Mrs. Hattie Owens was placed under guardianship after her granddaughter, Aisha Ross, allegedly made a false report with Adult Protective Services against Owens-Collins, who was her mother’s power of attorney at the time.
In her final brief filed with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on November 29, Owens-Collins argued that Newman acted outside the scope of his authority and with gross negligence in the performance of his duties as a judicial officer while handling her mother’s guardianship proceedings and estate affairs.
“Examples of his actions include things such as unilaterally altering my mother’s Last Will and Testament, allowing money from the estate to be paid to appointed attorneys without addressing the documented deficiencies in their job, disregarding all evidence which were contrary to his rulings, and abusing his discretion by summarily closing the guardianship prematurely before the estate issues were satisfactorily settled by all stakeholders,” Owens-Collins said.
Owens-Collins is appealing U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes’ decision to adopt Magistrate Peter Bray’s June 17 recommendation that dismissed her complaint with prejudice, which disqualifies the grieving daughter from ever suing Newman again in federal court.
Under Texas Estates Code §1201.003, judges are liable if damage or loss results to a guardianship or ward because of the gross neglect of a judge to use reasonable diligence in the performance of their duty.
Newman did not respond to requests for comment.
