SAN ANTONIO – A state judicial oversight agency has issued a public warning to Bexar County District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd after concluding she violated multiple standards of judicial conduct, including improperly involving herself in plea negotiations and making comments during a live-streamed hearing that the commission said showed bias and lacked dignity.<\/p>\n
In a public warning issued June 3, 2026, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct said it reviewed allegations against Boyd, the judge of the 187th Criminal District Court in San Antonio, during its meeting on April 8-9, 2026. <\/p>\n
The commission said Boyd was advised by letter of its concerns and provided a written response.<\/p>\n
The commission\u2019s findings include concerns about Boyd\u2019s use of a court YouTube channel provided by the Office of Court Administration. <\/p>\n
The commission said Boyd live-streams her court proceedings on the channel and engages in extrajudicial activities with viewers, including hosting a book club. <\/p>\n
The commission also found that viewers were allowed to leave comments and messages in real time about proceedings and participants.<\/p>\n
In one case, the commission cited a July 6, 2023, plea hearing in State of Texas v. Willberth Villamil. <\/p>\n
The commission said that after rejecting a plea agreement submitted by the parties and being informed Villamil was withdrawing his plea, Boyd \u201cimproperly injected herself into the plea bargaining process by asking if Villamil \u2018was willing to accept the 20 years in prison offered by the court.\u2019\u201d The commission also said Boyd remarked that the case against Villamil was \u201ca life-sentence worthy case.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her sworn responses to the commission, Boyd stated she has never reviewed or responded to viewers\u2019 comments or messages during proceedings and that she has never \u201crelied upon or considered\u201d such comments or messages when performing her judicial duties. Boyd represented to the commission that all her decisions are \u201cbased solely on the evidence presented and the law\u201d and that she has \u201cnever been influenced by any outside source when ruling on any case.\u201d The commission said Boyd confirmed she participated in a book club with viewers through the court\u2019s YouTube channel, but indicated she no longer does so.<\/p>\n
The commission also cited an October 28, 2024, probation revocation hearing in State of Texas v. Thomas Henson. <\/p>\n
The commission said that after explaining to Henson that he was facing 20 years in prison, Boyd directed the court reporter to go \u201coff the record\u201d while continuing to live stream and then stated:<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it appears that you want to go to prison to be passed around for cigarettes or dessert. Because that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen to you. Because you\u2019re young. And they will think you are attractive at the prison. And I\u2019m just being real with you…And no matter the commissary money that your parents and grandparents can put on the books for you is gonna save you from being passed around at the prison…Do you want to be passed around for ramen noodle? Because that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen…And that\u2019s what happened at the Bexar County jail, people would get passed around for dessert. Someone was sitting in this court for murder and the first thing he did at the Bexar County jail was go have sex with somebody. Whether it was consensual or not, that case hasn\u2019t been brought to me. And I can tell you right now that your grandparents, your mother, probably doesn\u2019t have enough money to put on your books so you won\u2019t be passed around for ramen noodles, cigarettes, oranges, or whatever at the jail. And it appears to the court that that\u2019s what you want to happen to you, doing all these little crazy little tattoos you got here, trying to be Billy Bad with gang tattoos and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her sworn responses about that matter, the commission said Boyd noted the seriousness of the charge Henson was facing and believed Henson \u201cwas not taking the charges or the potential probation seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commission concluded Boyd should be publicly warned for four areas of misconduct: \u201c(1) failing to comply with nor maintain professional competence in the law when she inserted herself into the plea bargaining process during the Villamil Case; (2) failing to be patient, dignified and courteous towards Villamil and Henson; (3) performing her judicial duties with bias\/prejudice and manifesting, by words and conduct, such bias\/prejudice towards Henson during the probation revocation hearing; and (4) making public comments through the Court\u2019s YouTube Channel about pending or impending proceedings in a manner which suggests to a reasonable person her probable decision in any particular case.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commission said Boyd\u2019s conduct violated Canons 2A, 3B(2), 3B(4), 3B(5) and 3B(6) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct and Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution. The warning was issued under the authority of Article V, Section 1-a(8) of the Texas Constitution, the commission said, \u201cin a continuing effort to promote confidence in and high standards for the judiciary.\u201d<\/p>\n
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