A former Dallas County court reporter is taking her fight from the courtroom to the courthouse steps, suing a retired judge and the county over what she says were years of harassment that supervisors let slide. The lawsuit seeks damages and claims county officials failed to protect her or rein in the visiting jurist’s behavior.
What the complaint says
Sasha Brooks’ lawsuit, filed in Dallas County District Court in February, alleges retired Judge Mike Snipes repeatedly crossed professional lines while serving as a visiting judge. According to the complaint, he made sexually inappropriate remarks about her appearance, pressured her for hugs and, on one occasion, tried to kiss her on the mouth.
Brooks says the conduct left her panic-stricken and that she continued working as a court reporter for Judge Stephanie Huff from 2015 until she was fired in 2024 after she raised concerns about Snipes’ behavior. The filing further alleges that other county employees were aware of the situation and did not intervene, and that regional administrative judge Ray Wheless was later asked to stop assigning Snipes to Dallas County courts, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
Judge denies the claims
Snipes, through his lawyer, is flatly rejecting the accusations. In a statement to The Dallas Morning News, attorney John Helms wrote, “He categorically denies these allegations,” adding that Snipes expects to be vindicated once the legal process plays out. For now, the only verdict is in the court of public opinion.
How complaints against judges work
Separate from any civil lawsuit, Texas has its own lane for handling allegations of judicial misconduct. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct reviews sworn complaints, investigates when warranted and can recommend discipline that ranges from a private admonition to suspension or removal from the bench. The Commission keeps its investigative work confidential and outlines how to file a sworn complaint on its website, according to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Local and national context
The suit lands in a county that has already been under the microscope for workplace bias issues. In late 2024, Dallas County agreed to pay $1.65 million to resolve a sex-bias lawsuit, a deal detailed by Bloomberg Law. On the national stage, public discipline for judges accused of sexual misconduct remains relatively rare, a pattern highlighted in reporting by Law360 that legal analysts say can make accountability harder to achieve.
The civil case now heads into the slow grind of the Dallas County court system. Both sides will have their chance to file responses, pursue discovery and argue motions as the dispute moves toward a potential trial or settlement. Separately, if a formal complaint about Snipes is submitted to the state judicial conduct commission, that filing would trigger a confidential review that could result in administrative action independent of whatever happens in the lawsuit…