SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Bexar County Court at Law Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez was indicted Thursday, more than a year after investigators said she had an attorney handcuffed during a dispute in her courtroom. <\/p>\n
Speedlin Gonzalez has been charged with unlawful restraint by a judicial officer, a felony, and misdemeanor official oppression, indictment records obtained by KSAT Investigates show. <\/p>\n
She turned herself in on Thursday and made her initial court appearance around 1 p.m. <\/p>\n
Speedlin Gonzalez\u2019s indictment comes two weeks after KSAT Investigates revealed<\/a> a December 2024 incident in which the judge ordered a defense attorney in her courtroom to be placed in handcuffs and seated in the jury box. <\/p>\n KSAT Investigates<\/p>\n Hard-hitting journalism from the KSAT Investigates team delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n The dispute between Speedlin Gonzalez and attorney Elizabeth Russell escalated during a motion to revoke probation hearing.<\/p>\n After the defendant pleaded \u201ctrue\u201d to one of the allegations, Russell cut in and asked for a moment to confer with her client, a transcript of the proceeding states.<\/p>\n The defendant functions below average intellectually, a source familiar with the incident told KSAT.<\/p>\n After the incident, Russell filed a criminal complaint against Speedlin Gonzalez, 60.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s indictment accuses Speedlin Gonzalez of restricting Russell\u2019s movements without her consent and interfering \u201csubstantially with her liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales recused his office from the case in September, court records show.<\/p>\n Brian Cromeens, district attorney for the 24th Judicial District, which includes DeWitt and Goliad counties, was assigned as special prosecutor on Oct. 1, 2025, records show.<\/p>\n Cromeens did not respond to a KSAT Investigates email seeking comment Thursday.<\/p>\n Speedlin Gonzalez, who did not respond to a text message seeking comment, first took office in County Court at Law 13 in January 2019 and also runs the county\u2019s Reflejo Court for first time domestic violence offenders.<\/p>\n She is running for reelection in the March primary against Democratic challenger Alicia Perez.<\/p>\n Perez told KSAT today that she wishes Speedlin Gonzalez well as she navigates the criminal justice system as a defendant.<\/p>\n \u201cI remain focused on my campaign and earning the trust of Bexar County voters. The state judicial commission has their role to play and that\u2019s not part of my campaign. I defer to the authorities on how to proceed.\u201d<\/p>\n The State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which has recently suspended other judges<\/a> facing criminal charges, had not taken action against Speedlin Gonzalez as of Thursday evening.<\/p>\n In a separate incident in 2022, Speedlin Gonzalez paid a $2,475 civil penalty after a loaded handgun was found in her carry-on luggage at the San Antonio International Airport.<\/p>\n