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Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez resigned Monday under an agreement that dismisses criminal charges stemming from a late 2024 courtroom incident and permanently bars her from serving as a judge in Texas.
The charges stem from a December 2024 incident in which Gonzalez was accused of having defense attorney Elizabeth Russell handcuffed and placed in a jury box after Russell objected to a plea from her client in a domestic violence case. The argument escalated, and Gonzalez ordered bailiffs to detain Russell.
Gonzalez was indicted in January on charges of official oppression and unlawful restraint and later turned herself in. The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office recused itself from the case, and a special prosecutor was appointed.
Gonzalez was suspended without pay by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct and later lost her bid for reelection in the March primary. Her opponent, Alicia Perez, won 65% of the vote for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13.
The charges were dismissed under the agreement. Special prosecutor Brian Cromeens of DeWitt County said dismissing the charges was “in the interest of justice.” Gonzalez did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the agreement.
The unlawful restraint charge is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The official oppression charge is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Gonzalez presided over a court that specializes in domestic violence cases and includes programs that combine treatment and strict supervision.
She was first elected to the bench in 2018, running for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 without accepting a single campaign contribution. She spent approximately $7,000 on the race and defeated the incumbent by more than 75,000 votes. At the time, she became the first openly gay judge elected in Bexar County.
Gonzalez has previously been disciplined by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct.
In 2022, the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a public admonition after a handgun was discovered in her luggage during airport screening at San Antonio International Airport. No criminal charges were filed, and the matter was resolved through the commission’s disciplinary process, including a fine. At the time, Gonzalez said she began carrying a firearm after receiving threats following her election in 2018.
Gonzalez has been outspoken on issues including LGBTQ rights and immigration, and she was at the center of controversy over a Pride flag displayed in her courtroom. Supporters said it reflected inclusion, while critics argued it was inappropriate for a judicial setting.
