What REALLY Happened to Texas Judge Bonnie Rangel for Courtroom Antics

El Paso Judge Bonnie Rangel received a public punishment because she acted in a way that words do not fully describe. You've seen Judges get punished, but you've rarely seen the actual ACTIONS that caused the Judge's punishment. Chapters: 00:00 – Wannabe Judge Judy? 00:40 – The Hearings 01:40 – Lack of Patience, Dignity, and Courtesy 03:35 – Bias and Prejudice 06:06 – Breach of Public Confidence 07:30 – The Punishment 08:17 – Final Thoughts Also find our content on: Facebook.com/MatthewHarrisLaw Instagram - @MatthewHarrisLaw Google Maps – https://g.page/MatthewHarrisLaw Website - https://matthewharrislaw.com/ Links: Public Punishment: https://www.scjc.texas.gov/media/47007/scr-22-0004-opinion-issued-11-03-23.pdf Judge Bonnie "Sizzle Reel" - https://vimeo.com/184163698 Civil Case – Discovery Hearing - https://www.youtube.com/live/_hvzgS9L2bc?si=UKYoRRftMQht6ypN&t=1176 Criminal Case - https://www.youtube.com/live/I1Yc5otb-kU?si=A0hw_c9iCe5wIEqZ&t=5086 Admonishment of Court Interpreter - https://www.youtube.com/live/esYQxeYT7ws?si=vUsOc3KWRTtLfgh3&t=6745 Meet Judge Rangel. She’s an active Judge on an El Paso, Texas, District Court, but she’s considering her own Judge Judy style reality show as a retirement plan. Unfortunately, during some of her hearings that were livestreamed on YouTube, she acted a little too much like a TV Judge. We’re going to review a couple of these hearings, and I’ll explain what conduct you should expect from a Judge, as well as why Judge Rangel’s conduct led to her being publicly disciplined for misuse of her public office. The Hearings Judge Rangel’s conduct over the course of 4 hearings in particular are what led to the complaints against her. These hearings occurred during Covid in 2020 and 2021, when all hearings were being conducted via Zoom and livestreamed on YouTube. These hearings included 3 criminal cases and 1 civil case. In each of these hearings, Judge Rangel lost her composure and used language that us mere mortals would have been held in contempt for. She disparaged the entire District Attorney’s Office, went on multiple lengthy diatribes, and even ridiculed a Defendant’s medical condition. Because all of this was livestreamed on YouTube, the Court of Review watched these hearings for themselves. In their published opinion, the Court of Review said that words were not sufficient to capture the essence of Judge Rangel’s actions. Here’s the wild thing about this case. The Court of Review entered an ORDER that all of these videos remain online until at least November 2024, and even hyperlinked each video within the opinion. The Judicial Canons Judges are required to follow a set of ethical principles and standards known as Judicial Canons. Not canons, but canons. These canons are established to ensure the integrity, impartiality, and fairness of the judiciary system. They provide guidelines for judges to maintain public trust and confidence in the judicial system. Violation #1 of Judicial Canon – Lack of Patience, Dignity, and Courtesy To say that Judge Rangel demonstrated a lack of patience, dignity, and courtesy would be an understatement. There were a LOT of examples in the videos, but I can’t play them all due to time. Texas Judicial Canon 3B(4) says, “A judge shall be patient, dignified, and courteous to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and others with whom the judge deals in an official capacity…” The Court of Review said that Judges should “practice what they preach” when it comes to the language being used in the Courtroom. Judge Rangel’s repeated use of the word “piss” and repeated yelling in loud angry tones at a captive audience who were not free to leave demonstrated her willful violation of this Judicial Canon. But that isn’t the only Judicial Canon that Judge Rangel was found to have violated. Violation #2 of Judicial Canon – Bias and Prejudice If the Judge deciding a case holds a bias or prejudice against one of the parties, then how can that party ever hope to have a fair trial in that Court? If a Judge realizes that they are biased or prejudiced, then they should recuse themselves from the case so an impartial Judge can decide the case. Unfortunately, Judge Rangel demonstrated, on video, her bias and prejudice against the entire El Paso County District Attorney’s office. The Court of Review called Judge Rangel’s tone “elevated, sometimes shrill” and pointed out how she was “hopping in her seat” as she chastised the Assistant DA appearing in front of her. Let’s watch the highlights: One of the fundamental bedrocks of Due Process requires an Impartial Decision-Maker. When a Judge remains on a case despite having bias or prejudice against a party, well that simply erodes the constitutional principles underlying our justice system. Texas Judicial Canon 3B(5) says, “A judge shall perform judicial duties without bias or prejudice.” Music: Warzone – Anno Domini Beats Music provided via YouTube Studio Audio Library