This Judge Is Facing Charges for What She Did to a Defense Attorney

A Texas judge is facing charges after she allegedly had a defense attorney handcuffed during a court proceeding in December 2024.

Bexar County Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez has been indicted for official oppression and unlawful restraint of a San Antonio attorney, according to the San Antonio Express.

The charges stem from a year-old incident in which Speedlin Gonzalez had a defense attorney handcuffed in court after a disagreement. 

Speedlin Gonzalez directed all questions to her attorney Mark Stevens, who declared her innocence.

“I have not seen the indictment but she’s not guilty of a crime, and that will be clear as time passes,” Stevens said. “Let’s just say we will vigorously defend the case and we’re glad we have a system of court that allows people to challenge accusations, and we intend to do that vigorously.”

Court documents show that Speedlin Gonzalez was indicted by a grand jury regarding an incident on Dec. 17, 2024. She was booked at the Bexar County jail just after 1 p.m. Thursday and released shortly after posting a bond of $40,000. 

The indictment alleges that Speedlin Gonzalez on that date “did then and there intentionally or knowingly restrain Elizabeth Russel, the Complainant, by restricting the Complainant’s movements without her consent, so as to interfere substantially with her liberty.”

It says the judge subjected Russel “to arrest and/or detention that the defendant knew was unlawful, and the defendant was acting under color of her office as a public servant.”

Unlawful restraint by a peace officer is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in state prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Official oppression is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to $4,000. 

Gonzalez, known for being the county’s first gay judge, ordered defense attorney Elizabeth Russel to be handcuffed and placed in the jury box during a probation revocation hearing.

KSAT reported that the incident occurred when Russel’s client pleaded “true” to one of the allegations. Russel requested a moment to speak with her client privately. The client was reportedly below average intelligence.

Judge Gonzalez told Russel that “attorneys are not allowed to coach their clients” and proceeded with the defendant’s plea despite the lawyer’s objection.

When the attorney continued to push back, Gonzalez reportedly said, “Stop. It’s on the record. Your argumentative ways are not going to work today. Stop. Stop, or I’ll hold you in contempt, Ms. Russel. I will hold you in contempt.”

The judge further stated that Russel was “not allowed to be argumentative and argue just for the sake of argument.” 

After Gonzalez ordered Russel to be handcuffed, she said, “You will not run around these courtrooms, especially [courtroom] 13, and think that you can just conduct yourself in the way you’ve been conducting yourself for at least the last six years.”

The attorney repeatedly demanded a contempt hearing and asked that a judicial supervisor be contacted while she was still restrained. “I can hold you in contempt, Miss Russel. Are you going to behave professionally or aren’t you?” Gonzalez responded.

“I will,” Russel said before her handcuffs were removed.

This isn’t the first time Gonzalez has faced legal trouble. She was briefly detained at San Antonio International Airport after Transportation Security Administration agents found a loaded handgun in her briefcase during carry-on screening in 2022.

She also came under scrutiny for having a rainbow flag in her courtroom and for posts she made on social media.

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