Texas Judge Allegedly Handcuffed Attorney in Court Incident

A judge in Texas, Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, has been accused of handcuffing a defense attorney during a court session, forcing her into the jury box.

On Thursday, Gonzalez, 60, who presides over Reflejo Court—a program for first-time domestic violence offenders—was charged with misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint by a judicial officer and oppression of an officer stemming from this incident that took place over a year ago.

Gonzalez surrendered to authorities following the charges. She made a statement, saying, “I’m a proud public servant, I’m LGBTQ, I’m a gun owner, I’m bilingual, I’m an American citizen, and I have every right to protect myself.” She added, “As long as I walk in righteousness and have God by my side, I’ll be fine,” yet chose not to comment further, citing her lawyer’s advice.

This is not the first time the judge has been in the spotlight; she previously faced criticism and paid a fine for attempting to take a loaded gun decorated with rainbow paint through the San Antonio International Airport. During the recent episode, she was arrested along with defense attorney Elizabeth Russell after their confrontation in court escalated.

After being booked at Bexar County Jail, Gonzalez was released on a $40,000 bail. Reports from the San Antonio Express-News indicated that the conflict reached a peak when Russell, who was trying to discuss matters with her client, challenged Gonzalez’s directives. The tension grew further when Gonzalez made comments about limiting their back-and-forth exchanges in the courtroom.

Ultimately, Gonzalez ordered Russell to be detained, declaring, “Take her into custody and put her in a box. We are not going to conduct this hearing this way.” Following the episode, Russell lodged a criminal complaint citing that her freedom was severely restricted during the incident.