A Texas judge, Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, finds herself at the center of legal scrutiny after being indicted on charges of unlawful restraint and official oppression. This follows a heated courtroom incident in 2024 where defense attorney Elizabeth Russell was handcuffed during a probation revocation hearing for her client.

The confrontation escalated when Russell requested a moment to confer with her client after a plea was entered. Judge Gonzalez rapidly dismissed the request, accusing Russell of attempting to "coach" her client. The situation intensified as Russell objected, leading Gonzalez to threaten her with contempt and subsequently order her detention.

"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," Gonzalez stated during the incident, to which Russell responded that she had only been licensed for five years.

This indictment arrives shortly after a KSAT Investigates report highlighted a series of complaints about the judge’s erratic behavior in the courtroom. Particularly concerning were the revelations about her conduct in the Reflejo Court, a trauma-informed program aimed at addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. Former facilitators and care managers associated with the program expressed their dismay at Gonzalez's increasingly aggressive demeanor, which they claimed contributed to their decisions to leave their positions.

In one striking episode reported by a former group facilitator, Gonzalez allegedly advised a female defendant to invest in a vibrator, deeming it "less trouble" than a potential pregnancy. Another incident involved harsh verbal treatment of a young, homeless participant found with inappropriate content on his phone.

Despite the backlash, Gonzalez has remained tight-lipped about the specifics of these allegations, emphasizing the importance of respecting the judicial process and privacy. She turned herself in for her initial court appearance, where her bond was set at $20,000.

As the legal community and public alike watch closely, this case raises critical questions about judicial conduct and the balance between authority and decorum in the courtroom.