A former Dallas County court reporter who alleges she was repeatedly sexually harassed by a judge is suing him and the county.
Sasha Brooks filed her lawsuit last month in Dallas County District Court against retired Judge Mike Snipes and Dallas County. The complaint alleges Brooks’ supervisor, 291st District Judge Stephanie Huff, knew about Snipes’ alleged inappropriate behavior but did nothing to stop it.
In statements to The Dallas Morning News, Snipes and his attorney, John Helms, denied the allegations. Snipes called them “spurious and unfounded,” but declined to comment further. Huff didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment, and a spokesperson for Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the county typically doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
“Judge Snipes has dedicated his life to public service and the rule of law,” Helms wrote in a message to The News. “He categorically denies these allegations. When this process is over, he will be vindicated.”
Breaking News
Related
Snipes presided over the county’s Criminal District Court No. 7 from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. He began working as a visiting judge after his retirement.
Brooks worked as a court reporter for Huff from 2015 until she was fired in 2024, according to her complaint. The working relationship between the two women was “pleasant and productive” until Snipes began regularly filling in for the court, the lawsuit said.
The complaint alleges Snipes made “sexually inappropriate comments and observations about (Brooks’) body and appearance” and repeatedly pressured her to give him hugs. It also states that he once tried to kiss her on the mouth, leaving her feeling “deeply shaken” and causing her to suffer from panic attacks.
Brooks tried to get other court reporters to fill in for her when Snipes was there, but frequently was unable to find someone, the lawsuit said. Brooks states that after she told Huff about her allegations, the judge said she was already “dealing with another case against (Snipes).”
“Judge Huff stated that while she was sorry for what Ms. Brooks was experiencing, it was ‘really hard to find sitting judges,’ noting that other substitute judges were often unavailable,” the complaint said.
Related
Despite Brooks’ concerns, Huff repeatedly required her to work with Snipes, according to the lawsuit. Huff’s demeanor toward Brooks, and her expectations of her, began to change and she eventually fired Brooks, the complaint said.
The lawsuit also alleges that other county employees were aware of Snipes’ inappropriate behavior toward female employees, but that the county took no steps to intervene or prevent further harm.
Regional Administrative Judge Ray Wheless, who is in charge of assigning visiting judges in Dallas County, said Monday he was asked to stop sending Snipes to Dallas County courts after the allegations were made public and an investigation began. Snipes continued to serve elsewhere for a while, but Wheless said Monday he’s no longer assigning him.