On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, The Dallas Morning News reported that a Dallas County man, Ivan Paris, filed a federal lawsuit against Judge Amber Givens, accusing her of false imprisonment. The lawsuit, filed last week in Dallas federal court, stems from a 2023 incident where Givens allegedly jailed Paris for a probation violation more than a year after she had been recused from his case.
According to the complaint, Givens sentenced Paris to 60 days in jail despite lacking the legal authority to do so. Paris served six days before the new judge assigned to his case, Judge Michael Snipes, revoked Givens’ order. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct had previously sanctioned Givens in June for this action.
The lawsuit alleges that Givens violated Paris’ constitutional rights and is not protected by judicial immunity because she acted without authority. Judicial immunity typically shields judges from liability for actions taken within their jurisdiction, even if those actions are mistaken or malicious. James Roberts, a civil rights attorney representing Paris, stated that Givens should be held accountable for her actions. Paris is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
Givens testified before the state commission that she ordered Paris and another man jailed in 2023 despite her recusal, attributing the error to the county’s electronic case management system, which she claimed did not reflect her removal from the cases.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of public controversies involving Givens. In 2021, the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association filed a complaint alleging that Givens allowed her court coordinator to impersonate her during a virtual bail hearing. This led to motions to recuse Givens from multiple cases, including Paris’.
The Texas Rangers and the Kaufman County district attorney’s office investigated the impersonation accusation but did not pursue criminal charges against Givens or her coordinator. However, in June, the state commission reprimanded Givens for the incident, noting that her court coordinator conducted the online hearing with Givens’ picture displayed, without informing the involved parties that the judge was not present.
The commission’s sanction also cited instances where Givens allegedly disrespected attorneys, exhibited bias or prejudice, and demonstrated a lack of competence in the law, following complaints from the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
In July, Givens’ lawyer, Russell Wilson, stated that Givens “disagrees with the commission’s conclusions” and characterized the complaints as a “politically motivated attack.”
Paris’ initial involvement with Givens began in 2022 when he was charged with felony possession of cocaine. Following his attorney’s motion, Givens was recused from the case, and it was reassigned to Judge Snipes in December 2022.
In 2023, while on probation, Paris participated in an “empowerment program” through Givens’ district court, which offered the possibility of early probation termination upon successful completion. However, in October or November of that year, a probation employee reportedly informed Givens that Paris had engaged in disruptive behavior during a program session.
Givens then ordered Paris to appear before her court on November 2, 2023, to explain his behavior. Finding his explanation unsatisfactory, she signed an order for him to serve 60 days in jail for the alleged probation violation. Paris subsequently retained an attorney who filed a motion with Judge Snipes to withdraw Givens’ order, which Snipes granted on November 8, 2023.
In September, the Commissioners Court voted to provide $25,000 salary supplements to all district judges except Givens. She responded by suing the county, alleging discrimination. The Commissioners Court reversed its decision on October 7, days before a scheduled hearing on Givens’ request for an injunction.
Source: The Dallas Morning News
