Texas judge Nathan Milliron has ordered a lawyer to appear in court after criticizing him for criticizing an IT employee in a video
A Texas judge caught belittling an IT worker in a viral video has ordered a lawyer who wanted him to apologize for his behavior to appear in court.
Attorney James Stafford recalled seeing Harris County Judge Nathan Milliron fire on Reddit, when the judge spoke softly to a computer expert who had helped him with a computer case, according to an email report of the two obtained by Houston Public Media.
“I hope you apologize for the way you treated her,” Stafford wrote. “I hope you had a bad day and this isn’t your typical judgment situation. Have a great weekend.”
In response, Milliron accused the lawyer of “ex parte” communication and ordered him to appear before him in court. Ex parte communication occurs when one side of the legal process contacts the judge without the knowledge of the other parties, according to the source.
“Maybe you shouldn’t talk to Judge, who was part of him, on his email address,” Milliron wrote. “As an officer of this Court, you are ordered to appear before this Court on April 10, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. for further discussion.”
The lawyer responded in a follow-up email, saying “he has no cases in your Court, so this is not a party but a voter exercising his freedom of speech regarding what some may consider an offensive action in your court.”
Stafford told ABC13 that he will not appear before Milliron — insisting that his email calling out the judge’s behavior does not qualify as a precedent.
Milliron landed in hot water earlier this week after a viral video showed him gasping for air at IT workers who were trying to help him fix a sound problem in his courtroom.
When the employee told him the issue had been resolved, Milliron became upset after the employee called the problem a “false alarm.”
In an attempt to defuse the situation, the IT specialist called it a “wrong thing to do,” prompting Milliron to thank him profusely before ordering him out of the courtroom.
After the technician left, Milliron instructed someone off-camera to “find his boss.”
“Jesus Christ. I’m sick and tired of this bullshit – today,” he said in the viral clip.
While the first video continued to circulate online, a second clip surfaced on Tuesday showing an angry Milliron during an attorney’s hearing in another heated court case.
In the clip, which was shared on X, Milliron cuts off the lawyer mid-explanation, telling him that he’s “messing up. [his] time this morning.”
The lawyer backs off, arguing that there is a relevant issue in the case, but Milliron shuts him down and denies the motion.
As he tries to plead his case, Milliron orders his deputy to take him out of court – then threatens to “put the bulls on him”.
“Jesus Christ, these people today,” he shouted as he backed away from the camera.
“Get out! You’re about to be arrested!” he shouted pointing at the lawyer.
Miliron has served on the bench in the 215th District Court since January 2025, ABC13 reported.
Although his conduct sparked a firestorm of backlash, his position as an elected judge shields Milliron from disciplinary action by local court administrators.
Judge Rabeea Collier, a civil court judge, issued a statement to the station on Monday saying that the court is aware of the video.
Collier added that “The Civil Trial Division is committed to maintaining a work environment based on respect and upholding the integrity of the judicial process.”
