Overview
- Video from a Harris County court livestream shows Judge Nathan Milliron telling a courthouse IT worker to leave after a brief tech fix, a clip that drew millions of views on social platforms.
- After defense lawyer James Stafford emailed urging an apology, Milliron called the message improper ex parte contact and ordered him to appear in court, though Stafford says he will not comply.
- Ex parte refers to one-sided contact with a judge outside a case record, and Stafford says he has no cases before Milliron and was speaking as a voter.
- Civil Administrative Judge Rabeea Collier acknowledged public concern and pointed to formal review channels, and court administration said the IT employee remains on the job and will not be penalized for doing his duties.
- Because Milliron is an elected judge, local officials have limited disciplinary power and the State Commission on Judicial Conduct does not confirm complaints until it issues public discipline, as more clips of tense courtroom exchanges fuel scrutiny from lawyers and the public.