Convenience Big Store: Viral Harris County judge accused of overreach after ordering critic to his court

April 4, 2026

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Defense attorney James Stafford, left, and his client Brian Coulter are shown as prosecutor Celeste Byrom speaks during his capital murder bench trial with Judge Kelli Johnson in the 178th District Court of the Harris County Criminal Justice Center Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Houston. Coulter is accused of beating to death 8-year-old Kendrick Lee, who was the son of his girlfriend, Gloria Williams.

Photo by: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer

Viral Harris County judge accused of overreach after ordering a critic to court.

The fallout from Judge Nathan Milliron's viral outburst has apparently taken another twist.

You'll recall the recent video showing a civil judge berating a Harris County employee over a tech issue.

After that came out, longtime criminal defense attorney James Stafford recently emailed the judge to criticize his behavior. That set off a response from Milliron, accusing Stafford of sending an improper ex parte communication and ordering him to appear before him in court.

So can the judge actually force him to appear in court? Reporter Nicole Hensley spoke with legal experts about the matter.

"This is all ridiculous," said one law professor.

2

A Houston school's model: AI in the classroom and more time on baseball field.

The Bennett School in Houston uses AI-powered classes and baseball training to draw elite players, raising questions for public schools. It's the first high school and middle school sports academy of its kind in the Houston area.

3

Houston buyers fuel early demand at a new Texas Hill Country luxury community.

The new, 114-acre luxury community near Lake LBJ is gaining early traction among Houston's second-home buyers and retirees seeking a golf-course lifestyle with Hill Country views.

4

See the list of Houston area pre-Ks approved for vouchers.

A large majority of Houston-area private schools approved for vouchers are pre-K or early childcare facilities, but around half of the state's pre-K applicants won't be eligible for the program.

Also: The state has deemed nearly 250,000 families eligible for the new $1 billion private school voucher program, according to data released after the application window closed this week. But most of them will likely be turned away.

5

HISD may cut or reassign staff if the board approves a reduction in force.

The board's approval would give administrators the flexibility to cut or reassign virtually all teaching positions and some central office jobs.

6

Lina Hidalgo tops the list of county officials with free rodeo access this year.

The county judge was the only elected official given premium "chute" tickets to this year's rodeo, officials said, but records show every other member of Commissioners Court also enjoyed free access to last month's rodeo concerts.

Also: In other local government news, did you know there's a city election today?

7

The state agency meant to protect grieving families imploded.

The Texas Funeral Service Commission is supposed to protect families when funerals go wrong. But a Houston Chronicle investigation found missing files, high staff turnover and complaints that can take months to resolve, raising questions about whether the watchdog can do its job.

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🏀 Sports

Texas Longhorns forward Justice Carlton (11) is guarded during the NCAA Final Four game against UCLA at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Photo by: Aaron E. Martinez, Austin American-Statesman

Longhorns: Texas shot 31% and Madison Booker missed 20 shots as UT was unable to rally to beat UCLA in the Final Four semifinal.
Rockets: Currently in fifth place in the Western Conference, Houston stretched its win streak to five games with an easy victory over the Utah Jazz.
Astros: The Athletics scored six runs in the fourth inning to end Houston's winning streak.
Tennis: Roman Andres Burruchaga and Thiago Agustín Tirante of Argentina will meet for the first time in the semifinals of the U.S. Clay Court Championship.
High schools: Atascocita will play for a state championship for the first time in program history following a 4-1 victory against Cibolo Steele in the UIL Class 6A Division I soccer state semifinals.

🗣️ Opinion

Quick thinking in Houston saves astronauts' bladders, Fertitta's bringing back the Comets and more appear in this week's Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down offering by the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board.

Where is the Orion spacecraft?

According to our tracker, it's more than 115,000 miles away traveling at a speed of 3,484 mph. Not exactly warp speed, but pretty fast nonetheless. So far, things are going smoothly for the astronauts — quite literally.

Back here on planet Earth, the White House is proposing $18.8 billion for NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget, down 23% from its current funding.