FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association to Appear Outside of the 215th District Court in Support of James Stafford and the First Amendment
Houston, TX — April 8, 2026 — The Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) and its Strike Force will appear outside of the courtroom for the 215th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas on the 13th Floor of the Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline on Thursday, April 9, 2026, beginning at 8:00 am where the elected judge who occupies that courtroom, Nathan Milliron, has attempted to order one of our esteemed members, James Stafford, to appear before him to discuss comments Mr. Stafford made regarding Judge Milliron’s now viral and infamous behavior toward a Harris County IT Department staff member. As Mr. Stafford has made known to others, he will not appear as he is under no legal obligation to appear. We will nevertheless respectfully observe proceedings in the courtroom to make sure that no illegal action is taken against Mr. Stafford, any members of our organization, members of the bar, or the general public for their criticism of the judge’s actions.
The HCCLA Strike Force is a group of attorneys who stand by to protect our organization’s members who find themselves under improper or illegal attack for their role in defending accused citizens and protecting their and the general public’s valuable constitutional rights.
HCCLA’s primary purpose is to support its members. We are an organization of criminal defense lawyers and not normally concerned with the civil courts. Our organization became concerned and got involved only after this judge attempted to order Mr. Stafford to his courtroom for sending an email that consisted of constitutionally protected speech.
That action by the judge amounts to improper judicial overreach, violates judicial canons, and seems to imply the threat of contempt proceedings, which can affect a lawyer’s freedom and triggers due process rights.
Members of our Strike Force will be available to address questions from the media and to add further comment as needed throughout the morning.
About the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
HCCLA is the largest local criminal defense bar in the United States, with more than 600 active members engaged in the defense of citizens accused of criminal acts. HCCLA has, for over 50 years, stood for criminal justice and criminal justice reform, and against government and judicial overreach.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Brent Mayr
President, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
713-444-5145
bmayr@mayr-law.com
hccla.org
###
Leave a Reply