Bexar County judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, facing charges of official oppression, has resigned amid a state probe, ending her judicial career in Texas.
SAN ANTONIO — A Bexar County judge indicted after ordering that an attorney be handcuffed during a tense December 2024 court hearing is giving up the gavel amid a state investigation.
Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, 61, was indicted on charges of official oppression and unlawful restraint in connection to the 2024 incident. In early February, she was suspended without pay by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct and faced further discipline pending the outcome of her legal case—including potentially stripping her of her ability to serve as a judge in the state.
But in recent days, she and the commission came to an agreement that she would voluntarily resign from judicial service in order to avoid further discipline from the state panel. It also stipulates that she is “forever disqualified” from working as a judge in Texas, lest she face more legal trouble.
Meanwhile, Speedlin Gonzalez’s attorney on Monday filed a motion to dismiss her indictment, according to online court records. It’s unclear at this point on what grounds he’s pushing for the dismissal. At this point, Speedlin Gonzalez is next due in court on June 5.
In early March, after she was indicted, she lost her reelection bid for Bexar County Court 13 in the Democratic Primary. She had led innovations to help rehabilitate first-time domestic violence offenders.
‘I will hold you in contempt’
It took less than 10 minutes for a December 2024 hearing to potentially revoke probation for a domestic violence suspect to devolve into a verbal spat between Speedlin Gonzalez and defense attorney Elizabeth Russell, according to a court transcript.
Speedlin Gonzalez was questioning the defendant about accusations that he violated his conditions of release when Russell privated conferred with him. After the lawyer did so a second time, the judge pointed out that “attorneys are not allowed to coach answers to their clients.”
The judge said his initial response would remain on the record, but that the court would recognize if he later said the allegation in fact wasn’t true.
Court documents state Speedlin Gonzalez then asked the defendant if it was true he didn’t complete his court-mandated community service, and he said, “Not true.”
“OK,” Speedlin Gonzalez responded, “so, state, you have a true plea for violation of Condition No. 4 that Mr. Collins then withdrew and stated ‘not true’ after being coached by his attorney.”
At that point, things escalated when court transcripts state Russell objected to the judge’s categorization of the events.
“Stop,” Speedlin Gonzalez said to Russell. “It’s on the record. Your argumentative ways are not going to work today. Stop. Stop, or I’ll hold you in contempt, Ms. Russell. I will hold you in contempt.”
“Your Honor, I’m allowed to speak,” Russell responded.
“You are allowed to speak, but you’re not allowed to be argumentative and argue just for the sake of argument,” Speedlin Gonzalez countered.
The judge later requested that Russell be placed “in the box.” According to the court transcript, the defense attorney was placed into handcuffs. When the judge asked later if she would “conduct yourself professionally,” Russell said she would and the cuffs were removed.
But the dispute continued when Russell accused Speedlin Gonzales of prejudice. Meanwhile, the judge threatened to prevent Russell from practicing in her courtroom in the future.
The commission chair signed off on the agreement Monday. It also stipulated that the deal doesn’t amount to an admission of guilt on the part of Speedlin Gonzalez.