A Dallas County man has filed a federal lawsuit against Judge Amber Givens, accusing her of false imprisonment for jailing him in 2023 on an alleged probation violation more than a year after she had been removed from his case.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct sanctioned Givens in June for sentencing Ivan Paris to 60 days in jail, stating she lacked legal authority to do so after being recused from his docket. Paris, 45, spent six days behind bars until the new judge on his case revoked Givens’ order.
Judicial immunity can protect judges against liability when they make mistakes or act maliciously within their jurisdiction. Paris’ complaint filed Tuesday in Dallas federal court alleges Givens is liable for violating his constitutional rights and is not protected by judicial immunity because she lacked authority over his case when she ordered him to jail after her recusal.
“Judge Givens, her role in our justice system is to hold criminal defendants accountable for their actions in cases where they’ve been determined to be guilty,” said James Roberts, a civil rights attorney representing Paris. “She needs to be held accountable for her actions as well.”
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Givens did not respond to a phone call or email requesting comment Wednesday.
Judge Amber Givens, 282nd Judicial District Court listens during a Dallas County Juvenile Board meeting at the Henry Wade Justice Center on Monday, May 15, 2023, in Dallas.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
In her testimony before the state commission, Givens confirmed she ordered Paris and a second man jailed in 2023 without authority to do so but said it was because the county’s electronic case management system failed to reflect her recusal from the cases.
The federal lawsuit is the latest development in a yearslong series of public issues surrounding Givens.
In 2021 the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association filed a complaint with the state commission alleging Givens allowed her court coordinator to impersonate her during a virtual bail hearing.
Members of the association filed motions to have Givens recused from their cases over concerns about her fairness in light of their complaint, leading to her removal from Paris’ case among others.
The Texas Rangers and the Kaufman County district attorney’s office investigated the accusation but did not seek criminal charges against Givens or her coordinator.
In June the state commission reprimanded Givens for allowing her court coordinator to conduct the online hearing with Givens’ picture on the screen without informing the parties the judge wasn’t actually there.
The sanction also said Givens disrespected attorneys, acted with bias or prejudice and lacked competence in the law after the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association lodged complaints and sought to have her recused from cases.
In July, her lawyer, Russell Wilson, said Givens “disagrees with the commission’s conclusions” and has called the complaints a “politically motivated attack.”
Paris originally appeared before Givens in 2022 after being charged with felony possession of cocaine. Following his attorney’s motion to recuse Givens from the case, his case was reassigned to Judge Michael Snipes in December 2022.
While on probation in 2023, Paris participated in an “empowerment program” through Givens’ district court that allowed for the early termination of probation upon successful completion, according to his lawsuit.
In October or November of that year, the complaint states a probation employee informed Givens that Paris engaged in disruptive behavior during an empowerment program session.
The complaint alleges that Givens ordered Paris to appear before her court to explain his behavior on Nov. 2, 2023. Finding his answer unacceptable, the complaint states, she signed an order for him to serve 60 days in jail for the alleged probation violation.
Paris then retained an attorney, who filed a motion asking Snipes to withdraw Givens’ order. Snipes granted the motion on Nov. 8 of that year.
Roberts, who filed the lawsuit Tuesday on Paris’ behalf, said his client is seeking accountability for the event that disrupted his life and left him emotionally scarred. He is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
“It’s hard to find a case like this because most judges understand when they’re recused off a case they can’t take action, especially action that puts someone in custody,” Roberts said.
While approving the 2026 budget in September, the Commissioners Court voted to give $25,000 salary supplements to all district judges except for Givens. She promptly sued the county, stating the action was discriminatory and illegal.
The Commissioners Court reversed its decision on Oct. 7, days before a hearing on Givens’ request for an injunction.