In early June 2026 the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) issued a public warning to Judge Stephanie Boyd, the presiding judge of the 187th Criminal District Court in Bexar County.  The commission reviewed allegations regarding her conduct during two separate criminal hearings and her use of the court’s YouTube livestream.  The warning was adopted after the commission’s April 8–9, 2026 meeting and was made public on 3 June 2026.

YouTube livestream and extrajudicial activity

The SCJC notes that Judge Boyd livestreams her court proceedings on a YouTube channel provided by the Texas Office of Court Administration.  According to the commission’s findings, she engaged in extrajudicial activities on this channel, hosting a book club and allowing viewers to post comments and messages about pending court proceedings and participants.  Boyd told the commission that she did not review or respond to viewers’ comments and said her judicial decisions are based on the evidence and the law.  She acknowledged participating in the book club but said she no longer does so.

Conduct during criminal hearings

Villamil case (July 6, 2023)

The first complaint involved a plea hearing in State of Texas v. Willberth Villamil.  After rejecting a plea agreement, Judge Boyd asked the defendant whether he would accept a 20‑year sentence offered by the court and characterized the case as a “life‑sentence worthy case”.  The commission found that this behavior improperly injected the judge into plea negotiations and violated the requirement that judges maintain professional competence in the law and remain impartial.

Henson case (October 28 2024)

In a separate probation‑revocation hearing for State of Texas v. Thomas Henson, Judge Boyd explained that Henson faced a 20‑year sentence, then directed the court reporter to go “off the record” while still livestreaming.  She addressed the defendant in a manner the commission deemed undignified and prejudicial, warning him that incarceration would mean being “passed around for cigarettes or dessert.”  She added that being “young and attractive” would lead him to be victimized in prison and suggested that commissary money could not stop him from being “passed around for ramen noodles… cigarettes, oranges, or whatever at the jail.”  Boyd’s comments cited personal experiences from the Bexar County jail and implied the defendant wanted to go to prison to be exploited.

The SCJC concluded that Boyd failed to be patient, dignified and courteous and that her comments manifested bias or prejudice, violating Canons 3B(2) and 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.  It also determined that the judge’s comments on her YouTube channel suggested how she might decide future cases, violating the prohibition on public comments about pending proceedings.  The commission warned that her conduct was willful, persistent and cast public discredit on the judiciary.

Response and impact

Judge Boyd told the commission she believed the defendant in the Henson case was not taking the charges seriously.  She maintained that she never relied on YouTube comments when ruling and insisted that all decisions were based on evidence and the law.  She has not been removed from the bench; a public warning becomes part of her disciplinary record but does not end her judicial service.  Boyd lost her latest bid to be the Democratic candidate for the 187th District Court and that her term ends at the end of 2026.

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