HOUSTON – A Harris County juror who spent weeks inside Judge Nathan Milliron’s courtroom is now speaking out after a viral video showed the judge in a heated exchange with an IT worker, saying the widely shared clip doesn’t tell the full story.
The video, which has been viewed millions of times online, shows Milliron raising his voice during a tense moment in court. The clip quickly sparked backlash and calls for accountability.
But Mario Perez, who recently served as a juror in Milliron’s courtroom, says what he witnessed over nearly a month paints a more nuanced picture.
“I saw it on my phone and I was like, wait a second — I know this man,” Perez said.
Inside the courtroom: “Very professional, very neutral”
Perez served on a jury in the 215th District Court during a weeks-long personal injury trial that wrapped up last Friday. The case involved a man who lost his arm in a devastating train accident — a detail Perez says underscored the seriousness of the proceedings.
“There’s a man who doesn’t have an arm anymore sitting two feet away from me,” Perez said. “It was a very serious case.”
He described Judge Milliron’s demeanor throughout the trial as consistent and professional.
“He was just very even, very neutral in how he interacted with us,” Perez said. “Very friendly, very patient.”
Perez said the trial stretched longer than expected, lasting several weeks and requiring jurors to spend full days in court.
The day of the viral moment
According to Perez, the now-viral exchange happened on a particularly difficult day marked by repeated technical issues inside the courtroom.
“That was a day that was just terrible in terms of delays,” Perez said. “They had to excuse us and put us back into the deliberation room because they were sorting things out with the audio and video.”
Perez said jurors were repeatedly asked to step out while court staff attempted to resolve problems connecting equipment used to present evidence.
While jurors were not present for the actual exchange captured on video, Perez said he remembers the frustration surrounding that day.
“We’re thinking, what the heck is going on here?” he said.
Jurors saw the video — but say it didn’t impact the case
Despite strict instructions to avoid outside information, Perez said the viral video was difficult for jurors to ignore once it began circulating online.
“We’re coming into work and we’re like, ‘Hey guys, have you seen this?’” he said.
Still, Perez says the jury made a conscious effort to separate the incident from their responsibilities in the courtroom.
“We acted as if we never saw it… so we could focus on the case and the facts,” he said.
He added that Judge Milliron never addressed the video with jurors.
Mixed reactions beyond the courtroom
The incident has drawn criticism from members of the legal community, including attorneys with the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association.
Last week, more than a dozen attorneys showed up in Judge Milliron’s courtroom in support of lawyer James Stafford, who had emailed the judge urging him to apologize to the IT worker involved in the exchange.
Judge Milliron ordered Stafford to his court after that email.
“At a minimum, that’s what James Stafford wanted was an apology,” said HCCLA President Brent Mayr.
Perez, however, questioned whether an apology would make a meaningful difference.
“If he apologized, then what happens?” Perez said. “I don’t know if it changes anything.”
He also suggested the situation could be viewed from multiple perspectives.
Perez said watching the video as a member of the public might have led him to a different conclusion, but his experience inside the courtroom shaped his view.
“If I wasn’t on this jury, I’d probably be reacting like everybody else,” he said. “But being in this unique situation, you get to see the context.”
He described the courtroom environment as high-pressure, noting the complexity of the case and the stakes involved for everyone in the room.
“There are victims, there are people defending themselves. It’s all very serious,” he said.
Verdict reached after weeks-long trial
The jury ultimately reached a verdict after two days of deliberation, assigning fault among multiple parties involved in the case.
Perez said the outcome reflected the complexity of the evidence presented.
“There was fault to go around. Nobody walked away happy,” he said.
Judge has not publicly responded
As of now, Judge Milliron has not publicly addressed the viral video.
We’ve reached out to the judge several times and have no heard back.