HOUSTON – All eyes were on a Harris County courtroom Thursday after a judge who recently went viral for his courtroom behavior ordered an attorney to appear before him — but ultimately took no action when that attorney didn’t show up.
The controversy centers around Harris County Civil Court Judge Nathan Milliron, who drew widespread attention after videos surfaced showing a tense exchange with an IT worker and attorneys inside his courtroom.
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Following that incident, attorney James Stafford emailed the judge, urging him to apologize. In response, Milliron ordered Stafford to appear in court at 8 a.m. on April 9.
Stafford refused, saying the order was not legally valid.
“The email is not a valid order, it has no legal enforcement,” Stafford previously told KPRC 2.
Attorneys show up in support
While Stafford did not attend Thursday’s hearing, more than a dozen attorneys — including members of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) — showed up in support and to monitor the situation.
KPRC 2’s Jaewon Jung was at the courthouse as events unfolded.
At 8:09 a.m., the courtroom doors remained locked, despite the judge’s directive for an 8 a.m. appearance. The courtroom eventually opened around 8:30 a.m.
Attorneys said their presence was intentional.
“If the judge wanted to do something because Mr. Stafford didn’t show up, we wanted to be here because there are certain procedures that would have to be followed,” said Brent Mayr, president of the HCCLA.
No action was taken against Stafford.
“It appears that no action is going to be taken, no further action anyway,” said Wade Smith, chair of the organization’s Strike Force Committee. “I think our purpose is largely done.”
Concerns over ‘judicial overreach’
Smith said the group became involved because they believed the judge’s actions raised serious legal concerns.
“It struck us as being a great judicial overreach and unlawful,” Smith said.
He also pushed back on the judge’s claim that Stafford’s email constituted improper communication.
“There was no ex parte communication… everything about that was wrong,” Smith said. “That is constitutionally protected First Amendment speech.”
The group said it typically does not intervene in civil court matters, but made an exception in this case due to the circumstances.
Judge’s behavior under scrutiny
Inside the courtroom, Milliron appeared calm and professional throughout the morning proceedings, according to observers.
“He appeared to me very pleasant to everybody that went before him today,” Smith said. “That doesn’t surprise me when he’s got lots of eyeballs on him.”
Still, attorneys say concerns about the judge’s temperament remain.
“When judges… disrespect court staff… or try to drag people into court, we’re going to stand up,” Mayr said.
Calls for apology — but none issued
As of Thursday, Judge Milliron had not issued a public statement or apology regarding the viral incident or the order involving Stafford.
Attorneys say that’s what sparked this situation in the first place.
“That’s what James Stafford wanted from the very beginning — an apology to this employee that he treated with utter disrespect,” Mayr said.
Mayr added the judge should go further.
“I think he owes an apology to Mr. Stafford and to the people of Harris County,” he said.
What happens next
The HCCLA confirmed it has not filed a judicial complaint against Milliron but says others have. The organization plans to continue monitoring the situation.
“If there’s any problems, we will not hesitate to step up,” Mayr said.
As for whether the judge could face removal from office, attorneys say that process exists — but is difficult.
“There’s procedures for doing that… they’re very difficult to accomplish,” Mayr said.
For now, attorneys say they are watching closely to see whether Milliron’s behavior changes moving forward.