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Harris County Judge Takes No Action After Ordering Attorney to Appear

The standoff highlights unresolved questions about judicial power over outside criticism.

judge and IT worker
Lawyers and members of the media wait outside the locked 215th District Court in Houston on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
A bailiff opens the door of the 215th District Court. Judge Nathan Milliron had told criminal defense attorney James Stafford to appear before him after Stafford raised concerns about the judge's behavior. 
A bailiff opens the door for lawyers and members of the media at the 215th District Court. Judge Nathan Milliron had told criminal defense attorney James Stafford to appear before him after Stafford raised concerns about the judge's behavior. 

Overview

  • Judge Nathan Milliron’s courtroom, which he told attorney James Stafford to attend at 8 a.m. Thursday, opened with routine hearings and no action against Stafford.
  • More than a dozen members of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association came to support Stafford and to watch for any sanctions.
  • The defense bar called the order judicial overreach and said Stafford’s email was protected political speech, not improper ex parte contact, which is one-sided contact about a case.
  • Milliron has offered no apology or comment since the viral video of him berating a court IT worker, and he has disabled a courtroom livestream and deleted his Facebook account.
  • Complaints have reportedly gone to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which handles judge discipline in Texas through a confidential process that often moves slowly.