'Forever disqualified': Judge turns in her robes after being accused of handcuffing attorney during courtroom argument and issuing 'no contact' orders to staff

A Texas jurist is retired of a occupation and tin ne'er enactment successful specified a capableness again — astatine slightest not successful the Lone Star State — aft she allegedly had an attorney handcuffed successful her courtroom during a dispute.

In January, Rosie Speedlin-Gonzalez, 61, was indicted connected 1 number each of unlawful restraint by a judicial serviceman and misdemeanor authoritative oppression implicit the December 2024 courtroom incident.

Up until this week, Speedlin-Gonzalez served arsenic a justice successful Bexar County Court 13 — though she overwhelmingly lost her reelection bid successful the Democratic superior past period and was connected the mode retired regardless. Still, the contours of her departure person ensured she volition beryllium "forever disqualified" from moving arsenic a justice successful Texas.

In February, the erstwhile justice was suspended without pay by the Texas Commission connected Judicial Conduct implicit the charges. She faced the anticipation of being further disciplined by the judicial morals committee pending the result of the transgression lawsuit against her.

Now, nonrecreational consequences are nil owed to the four-page voluntary statement to resign from judicial bureau successful lieu of disciplinary enactment reached betwixt Speedlin-Gonzalez and the commission.

The resignation statement covers 5 abstracted complaints filed with the committee implicit Speedlin-Gonzalez's judicial misconduct.

The "parties hold that the allegations of judicial misconduct, if recovered to beryllium true, could effect successful further disciplinary action" connected apical of the suspension, the statement reads. Speedlin-Gonzalez besides "has officially and formally resigned her judicial duties" and agrees "to resoluteness the above-referenced complaints successful lieu of disciplinary action."

The papers spells retired respective judge-aligned actions Speedlin-Gonzalez tin nary longer execute — and 1 she inactive is allowed to do.

From the resignation agreement, astatine length:

[U]pon the Commission's support of this Agreement, Judge Speedlin-Gonzalez shall beryllium everlastingly disqualified from judicial work successful the State of Texas, including: (a) sitting oregon serving arsenic a judge, (b) lasting for predetermination oregon assignment to a judicial office, and/or (c) performing oregon exercising immoderate judicial duties oregon functions of a judicial officer, including the show of wedding ceremonies. This statement does not prohibit Judge Speedlin-Gonzalez from the show of wedding ceremonies under…the Texas Family Code, provided she does not deterioration a robe oregon notation successful immoderate mode to a judicial relation oregon authorization successful the show of a ceremony.

The statement betwixt Speedlin-Gonzalez and the commission, however, does not extinguish the transgression lawsuit filed against her. Also connected Monday, her lawyer filed a question to disregard the indictment.

On the time of the underlying incident, lawyer Elizabeth Russell was appearing with a lawsuit during a proceeding implicit a question to revoke probation, San Antonio-based ABC affiliate KSAT reported successful January.

The suspect successful that lawsuit reportedly responded to 1 of the allegations by pleading "true," which prompted Russell to interject and inquire for a infinitesimal to confer with her client.

The justice nixed the defence petition and said attorneys are not allowed to manager their clients, according to a transcript of the proceedings obtained by the TV station. When the tribunal moved guardant with the plea, the defence lawyer objected. This time, Speedlin-Gonzalez volubly took contented with Russell's lawyering.

"Stop," the justice said. "It's connected the record. Your argumentative ways are not going to enactment today. Stop. Stop, oregon I'll clasp you successful contempt, Ms. Russell. I volition clasp you successful contempt."

The justice added that Russell was "not allowed to beryllium argumentative and reason conscionable for the involvement of argument," the transcript says.

Soon, however, the upbraiding turned into action.

"Take her into custody and enactment her successful the box," the justice directed a bailiff. "We are not having this proceeding this way."

After that, Speedlin-Gonzalez lectured the lawyer again.

"You volition not tally astir these courtrooms, particularly [court number] 13, and deliberation that you tin conscionable behaviour yourself successful the mode you've been conducting yourself for astatine slightest the past six years, Ms. Russell," the justice said.

In response, the lawyer noted that she had lone been practicing instrumentality for 5 years. After being freed, Russell filed a transgression complaint.

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In July 2025, the archetypal judicial ailment was filed against Speedlin-Gonzalez, alleging she "exhibited unprofessional demeanor, threatened a defence lawyer with contempt, and ordered the bailiff to handcuff the defence lawyer and spot her successful the assemblage box," according to a summary successful the Monday resignation agreement.

In October 2025, a 2nd judicial ailment was filed alleging she "exhibited unprofessional demeanor toward a transgression suspect and that she failed to timely proceed connected a question to modify enslaved conditions and 2 writs of habeas corpus."

Three further judicial complaints were filed successful February and March of this twelvemonth alleging she "abused her judicial authority" by ordering tribunal employees to person "no contact" with erstwhile employees.

The suspect is adjacent slated to look successful tribunal connected June 5.