Indicted judge who handcuffed lawyer loses reelection bid; transcript reveals more details from incident
A Texas judge indicted for handcuffing an attorney in her courtroom, followed by a suspension without pay, lost her reelection bid Tuesday.
Alicia “Ali” Perez, who ran against Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez of Bexar County, Texas, won with 65% of the vote, KSAT and the San Antonio Express-News report.
The handcuffing incident happened in December 2024. Speedlin Gonzalez was indicted in January and charged with one felony count of unlawful restraint by a judicial officer and official oppression, which is a misdemeanor. A spokesperson from the Bexar County district attorney’s office told the ABA Journal that they were recused from the case, and it was assigned to a special prosecutor from Goliad County, Texas.
Shortly after the indictment, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended Speedlin Gonzalez without pay until the charges were dismissed or she was acquitted.
Chad Baruch, who represents Speedlin Gonzalez on the suspension matter, told the Journal that they would not comment on pending matters.
Elizabeth Russell, the attorney Speedlin Gonzalez had handcuffed, told the Journal that she would not comment on the pending criminal case because she is the complaining witness. Russell represented Brian Keith Collins Jr., who 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 reports.
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.
“Your honor, I’m entitled to any hearing on any criminal contempt. You can’t just hold me in contempt without a hearing,” Russell said.
“I can hold you in contempt, Ms. Russell. You’ve got that wrong. Are you going to behave professionally or aren’t you,” Speedlin Gonzalez responded.
Russell responded that she would, and Speedlin Gonzalez directed the bailiff to remove the handcuffs. Russell continued to ask the court for a recusal, and the judge said the defendant could be taken back into custody. And the acrimony continued.
“You will not run around these courtrooms, especially 13, and think that you can just conduct yourself in the way you’ve been conducting yourself for at least the last six years, Ms. Russell,” Speedlin Gonzalez said, according to the transcript.
“Your honor, I’ve only been licensed for five,” Russell said. “And I have not conducted myself unprofessionally whatsoever.”
In response, Speedlin Gonzalez told Russell that she was in “an echo chamber of your own thoughts because if you take a survey among the judges and other co-counsels and other attorneys in this county, you will find differently.”
Russell continued to ask Speedlin Gonzalez for a recusal, based on the bias and prejudice of the judge.
“You know what, Ms. Russell, you will get your recusal, and you will never practice in this courtroom again. I’m going to exclude you from being able to practice in this courtroom,” Speedlin Gonzalez said.
This was not the first time that Speedlin Gonzalez’s behavior has been questioned. Previously, someone complained that after a matter in front of her concluded, she made a Facebook post with photos and congratulations to the attorneys who represented the successful party, according to a 2023 opinion from a Texas special review court assigned to the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
This was her judicial Facebook page, and she stopped making additional posts after receiving a written inquiry from the commission, according to the opinion.
Additionally, the opinion stated that Speedlin Gonzalez displayed a Pride flag in her courtroom, which could convey a message that she was partial to parties with interests in the LGBTQ+ community.
The original finding suggested that Speedlin Gonzalez receive a public warning for the Facebook posts and a private warning for the flag display. The commission rejected that on the basis that the posts in question were removed, and the judge’s intention for displaying the flag was to “encourage commemoration and community.” All charges were dismissed.
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 reports.
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.
