A Texas judge is now on the other side of the bench. Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez has been indicted on charges of unlawful restraint by a judicial officer and misdemeanor official oppression, stemming from a 2024 courtroom incident involving defense attorney Elizabeth Russell.
According to reports, Russell was representing a client at a hearing on a motion to revoke probation. After the defendant pleaded “true” to one allegation, Russell asked for a moment to confer with her client, and that request set Speedlin Gonzalez off. The judge shut that down immediately, telling Russell that attorneys are not allowed to “coach” their clients. When Russell objected after the judge moved forward with the plea, things got worse… fast.
“Stop. It’s on the record. Your argumentative ways are not going to work today,” Speedlin Gonzalez said, according to the transcript. “Stop, or I’ll hold you in contempt, Ms. Russell. I will hold you in contempt.” The judge accused Russell of arguing “just for the sake of argument” before ordering deputies to take her into custody. “Take her into custody and put her in the box,” the judge said.
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