Rosie Speedlin-Gonzalez, a Democratic judge elected to Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 in San Antonio in 2018, has been permanently banned from judicial service in Texas following a criminal indictment. She was charged in January with unlawful restraint by a judicial officer and official oppression stemming from a December 2024 incident in which she allegedly ordered a bailiff to handcuff and confine a female defense attorney to the jury box. After the State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended her without pay in February, Speedlin-Gonzalez agreed in late April to accept a lifetime ban from judicial service, formally resigning her position and agreeing never to serve as a judge, stand for election to judicial office, or perform judicial duties in Texas.

The case carries broader implications for judicial accountability and the standards expected of those on the bench. Speedlin-Gonzalez's removal follows years of misconduct complaints, including allegations of unprofessional conduct toward defendants and abuse of judicial authority through improper directives to court staff. Her loss in the March Democratic primary election in her bid for re-election suggested voters had already lost confidence in her leadership, making the subsequent lifetime ban a significant enforcement action by state disciplinary authorities.

The agreement settling the case included multiple prior complaints against Speedlin-Gonzalez unrelated to the December incident, signaling a pattern of conduct concerns. Notably, the settlement does not constitute an admission of guilt or liability on her part, though the formal ban remains in effect. Following the agreement's execution, the special prosecutor moved to dismiss the criminal charges against her.