On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Eyewitness News reported that Harris County District Judge Natalia Cornelio is contesting a public reprimand issued against her.

The reprimand, handed down by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct in October, stems from her handling of an appeal involving Ronald Haskell, a death row inmate convicted in the 2014 murders of six members of his ex-wife’s family. Prosecutors alleged that Judge Cornelio favored the defense, which led to her removal from the case in January 2025.

According to the commission’s findings, Judge Cornelio’s actions brought discredit to the judiciary and the administration of justice. The commission cited a “secret” bench warrant issued in July 2024, which ordered Haskell’s return to Harris County for a midnight court hearing that never occurred. During this period, Haskell was held in the county jail for three weeks and underwent an MRI at a private clinic near the Texas Medical Center.

The reprimand also criticized Judge Cornelio for agreeing to keep Haskell’s transport logs secret without a hearing, thereby limiting the prosecution’s opportunities. Judge Cornelio has disagreed with the commission’s determination and has since appealed.

The hearing, presided over by a Special Court of Review composed of three justices, commenced Tuesday morning in Austin with opening statements. The state, represented by attorneys from the Attorney General’s Office, presented Judge Cornelio as their first witness.

Judge Cornelio acknowledged that the bench warrant contained inaccurate information about a nonexistent court appearance because her staff used a standard form. She admitted she “should have been more careful” and has since taken steps to prevent similar errors.

Cornelio’s attorney, Derek Hollingsworth, sought to establish that his client was not sympathetic to the defendant, but was merely following the law to the best of her understanding at the time. Judge Cornelio, who assumed her position in 2020, had not been involved in a death row case before Haskell’s.

Judge Cornelio testified that she kept the Haskell filings “ex parte” to protect the defendant’s privileged information. Her testimony concluded with a direct appeal to the justices. She stated, “I hope you all are able to see in the evidence I was being very careful in this case, even if I made mistakes. I duly consider both sides — the law, the facts, the evidence.”

Following Judge Cornelio’s testimony, Joshua Reiss, General Counsel for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, testified. Reiss, who previously headed the Post-Conviction Writs Division when the issue came to light in 2024, repeatedly referred to Judge Cornelio’s actions as “a fraud” in Haskell’s favor. He also addressed the motion that Cornelio granted the defense without a hearing.

A decision is expected in the coming weeks. While the reprimand does not remove Judge Cornelio from the bench, it will remain part of her public record unless the court rules in her favor.

Judge Cornelio, currently serving her second term, was elected in October 2025 by her peers as the Harris County Administrative Judge, a leadership role overseeing fellow district judges. Her current judicial term concludes in 2028.

 

 

Source: Eyewitness News