Infamous Rogue Judge Forever Banned from the Bench after Having Attorney Handcuffed

A former Texas judge has been permanently banned from the bench after allegedly ordering a defense attorney handcuffed during a heated courtroom confrontation. Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez resigned from Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 and agreed never again to serve as a judge in Texas. The April 20th agreement resolved multiple pending judicial misconduct complaints against her. Criminal charges connected to the handcuffing incident were also dismissed “in the interest of justice.”

Speedlin Gonzalez was the first openly LGBT-identified judge elected in Bexar County and had presided over a court specializing in domestic violence cases. The confrontation at the center of the case occurred during a December 17th, 2024, probation-revocation hearing. Defense attorney Elizabeth Russell was representing Brian Keith Collins Jr., whose probation authorities were seeking to revoke over alleged violations.

Collins initially answered “true” when questioned about the alleged violations, but Russell asked for a moment to confer with her client. Collins then attempted to retract his answer and change it to “not true.” Speedlin Gonzalez accused Russell of coaching her client to change his response, while Russell objected to the judge’s handling of the hearing and eventually requested that she recuse herself from the case.

The argument quickly escalated until Speedlin Gonzalez ordered a courtroom bailiff to take action against Russell. “Take her into custody and put her in the box,” the judge said, according to the hearing transcript. “We are not having this hearing this way.” Russell was then placed in handcuffs and moved to the jury box before later being released.

In the formal agreement with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Speedlin Gonzalez declared that she had “officially and formally resigned her judicial duties, effective immediately.” She further agreed to be “forever disqualified from judicial service in the State of Texas.” The prohibition prevents her from seeking or accepting a judicial position anywhere in the state.

The agreement followed a series of misconduct complaints that remained pending before the commission. The commission said the allegations could have produced additional disciplinary action if they had been proven. Speedlin Gonzalez chose to resolve the complaints through her immediate resignation and permanent disqualification.

See Gonzalez’s resignation here:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1042184378449998

The courtroom confrontation also led to a criminal investigation after Russell filed a complaint over her detention. A Bexar County grand jury indicted Speedlin Gonzalez on January 29th, 2026, on charges of unlawful restraint by a peace officer and official oppression. The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended her without pay on February 5th while those charges were pending.

Speedlin Gonzalez was not convicted of either offense. A special prosecutor moved to dismiss the criminal charges on April 20th, the same day the commission accepted her resignation agreement. The dismissal was filed “in the interest of justice,” with her resignation and permanent exclusion from judicial office cited as part of the resolution.

The commission agreed that it would not pursue further disciplinary action involving the covered complaints once Speedlin Gonzalez resigned and accepted the lifetime prohibition. The agreement also makes clear that the former judge did not concede the truth of the allegations against her. According to its final terms, Speedlin Gonzalez “does not admit guilt, fault, or liability.”

Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.