Former Dallas Judge Denies Allowing Staffer to Impersonate Her in Court

Amber Givens testifies before panel about allegations of misconduct during her time on the bench

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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In her first public statements since being accused of allowing a staff member to stand in for her during a criminal court proceeding nearly five years ago, former Dallas County District Judge Amber Givens denied the allegations while testifying Wednesday before a three-judge panel. Givens' testimony contradicted previous testimony from two prosecutors and two probation officers who witnessed the hearing at the center of the case.

Why it matters

The trial was the result of a public reprimand and admonition issued to Givens last year by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which found she had allowed her court coordinator to stand in for her during an August 2021 bond hearing. The commission also ruled that Givens had treated attorneys poorly in her courtroom on three specific occasions, and had taken action in two criminal cases after she had been recused from them.

The details

Givens testified that on the day of the August 3, 2021 bond hearing, she was having issues with her car and was working remotely, which was allowed during the COVID pandemic. When she tried to log into the virtual gathering for her court's proceedings that day, she was unable to get in. Givens said she instructed her court coordinator, Arceola Warfield, how to log in to Zoom for her from Warfield's computer so they could move on with the court's business that day, which she described as minor. Givens said she called Warfield and told her to hold her phone up to the computer's speaker so that the attorneys could hear her.

  • The alleged incident occurred on August 3, 2021.
  • Givens resigned from her position presiding over the 282nd District Court in December to run for Dallas County district attorney.

The players

Amber Givens

Former Dallas County District Judge who is accused of allowing her court coordinator to stand in for her during a court hearing.

Arceola Warfield

Givens' court coordinator who she allegedly instructed to log in to Zoom and hold the phone up to the computer speaker during the court hearing.

John Creuzot

Dallas County district attorney, who was among the witnesses called to testify during the trial.

Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

The lawyers' group that filed a complaint with the judicial conduct commission about the disrespectful way they believed Givens had treated attorneys appearing before her.

Texas Rangers

Conducted a criminal investigation into the allegations against Givens.

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What they’re saying

“I would have never asked (Warfield) to pretend to be me. I'm going to put my degree on the line? My license on the line? For a bond hearing? No.”

— Amber Givens, Former Dallas County District Judge

“It's almost like she wants to be famous rather than be a judge and serve justice. (Her) behavior was so bad and it just kept getting worse.”

— Amanda Branan, Former president of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

What’s next

The three-judge panel did not issue a ruling, and it could be weeks before a decision is released. Among the options the justices have is to reinstate some or all of the sanctions issued by the judicial misconduct commission, or to dismiss them.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of judicial integrity and the need for judges to uphold the highest standards of conduct. The allegations against Givens, if proven true, would undermine public trust in the justice system and raise concerns about fairness and due process.