Ethics
Charges dropped against Texas handcuffing judge after she agrees to resign and never run again
Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez of Bexar County, Texas, resigned from the Bexar County district court in April. (Photo from the Bexar County, Texas, County Court 13 website)
Criminal charges were dropped against a Texas judge who handcuffed a defense lawyer in her courtroom, was suspended without pay and then lost her March primary election.
A special prosecutor filed a motion to dismiss felony unlawful restraint and misdemeanor official oppression charges against Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez of Bexar County, Texas, the same day that she resigned from the bench, KSAT reports.
According to the April 20 agreement released by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Speedlin Gonzalez resigned voluntarily. Additionally, according to the document, she is “forever disqualified” from serving as a judge, running for judge or performing wedding ceremonies as a judge.
Speedlin Gonzalez lost a Democratic primary race to Alicia “Ali” Perez in March. Perez is running unopposed in the November general election, according to Ballotpedia.
The handcuffing incident happened in December 2024 and involved defense lawyer Elizabeth Russell. Her client was on probation for domestic violence, and the government claimed that he did not report to his probation officer or perform community service.
At his hearing, Speedlin Gonzalez asked him whether the allegation was true; he said yes, and Russell requested a moment with her client, which the judge agreed to, according to the transcript. Russell then asked the court to retract his plea. Speedlin Gonzalez accused her of coaching the witness, and she objected.
The exchange grew heated and personal, and Russell asked to be recused from the case, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
According to the transcript, Speedlin Gonzalez said she gets “to raise my voice in this court,” not Russell, who continued to ask for a recusal. The judge directed her bailiff to put Russell in the jury box, and she was handcuffed, according to the transcript.
The exchange continued, and Speedlin Gonzalez eventually directed her bailiff to remove the handcuffs from Russell, who continued to ask for a recusal.
Besides Speedlin Gonzalez’s indictment, the Texas judicial conduct commission agreement listed several complaints filed against Speedlin Gonzalez.
One, from October 2025, accused her of showing an unprofessional demeanor toward a criminal defendant and failing to timely proceed on a motion to modify bond conditions, as well as two habeas petitions. The others alleged that she issued no-contact orders prohibiting staff at a Bexar County specialty court known as the “Reflejo Court,” where she presided, from communicating with former court employees. The Reflejo Court hears misdemeanor domestic violence matters and operates like drug courts, according to the court’s FAQ page.
No findings of fact were entered for the complaints, according to the agreement.
Chad Baruch, Speedlin Gonzalez’s defense lawyer, did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal interview request.
In a campaign speech shared on Facebook, Speedlin Gonzalez said she was going through a tough time.
“I’m gonna tell you this—when they come for me, they come for every woman in the room,” Speedlin Gonzalez said in the video.
She made similar statements about being a child of first-generation immigrants, being from South Texas and being gay.
“I am innocent of all charges. I can’t talk about the details in the case, but I will say that, and I believe in the justice system,” she said in the video.
Speedlin Gonzalez had also faced earlier complaints, which were ultimately dismissed, according to a 2023 opinion.
Also, in 2022, Speedlin Gonzalez admitted to having a loaded gun in her carry-on luggage at the San Antonio International Airport. She said the incident was “oversight on my part,” KSAT reported.
According to KSAT, Speedlin Gonzalez paid the Transportation Security Administration a $2,475 civil penalty.
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
