DALLAS, TX — A Dallas County jury awarded $1.1 billion to a seven-year-old boy who was permanently disabled by his stepfather in what attorneys call the largest child abuse verdict in U.S. history.
Charles Edwin Brooks Jr., 32, the great-grandson of a Humble Oil investor, was found liable for catastrophic injuries he inflicted on Blake Sampson during a brutal 2021 attack that left the child wheelchair-bound and requiring round-the-clock care. The jury awarded roughly $291 million in compensatory damages and $810 million in punitive damages after Brooks was sued by the child’s mother, Madison Ball, and father, Stephen Sampson. Brooks is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree felony injury to a child in August 2023.
The attack occurred on April 22, 2021, when Brooks was babysitting two-year-old Blake at his home. Hours after the assault, Brooks called Ball claiming the boy was “non-responsive,” initially suggesting he had fallen from a table, down stairs, or been in a car accident. Ball asked to see her son over FaceTime and was shown her child lying unclothed and barely breathing. “Despite her insistence that he call for help, court records state Brooks refused to, so Ball dialed 911 herself,” according to court documents. When paramedics arrived, they found Blake with severe head trauma, brain swelling, extensive bruising across his body, and adult bite marks on his legs.
Blake was rushed to Medical City Dallas and placed on a ventilator in a medically induced coma as doctors fought to save his life. Medical evidence presented in court showed Blake suffered traumatic brain injury affecting multiple critical areas of the brain, along with retinal hemorrhaging, chronic respiratory failure, and a seizure disorder. Today, Blake relies on a breathing machine, uses a tracheostomy tube and cannot walk. Lead attorney Tony Buzbee, whose Houston-based firm represented the family, described the evidence presented to jurors. “They saw the bloody pictures from the duplex where he was beaten, where he was pinched and bitten. Where he was essentially tortured,” Buzbee said in a Facebook post. “They saw blood on the counter, and the floor, and on Blake’s diapers, and the blood splatter on the mirror and the toilet, and the doors and walls.”
The civil case was tried in the 134th District Court in Dallas County, with the jury’s compensatory award including tens of millions for future medical care, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and physical suffering. Additional damages were awarded to both parents in the punitive phase, with jurors imposing hundreds of millions more in exemplary damages reflecting the severity of the abuse. Brooks is tied to a prominent Texas oil lineage through his great-grandfather Percy Turner, an early investor in Humble Oil. Attorneys for the family indicated they believe Brooks has access to substantial financial resources, including a trust, and intend to pursue collection of the judgment to fund Blake’s lifelong care. Darren Anderson, who represented Blake’s father, said the verdict “reflects the strength of our client’s case and the unwavering commitment to pursuing justice.”
Brooks had been married to Ball and gave varying explanations for what happened to Blake in the aftermath of the attack, according to court documents. The criminal case moved swiftly, with Brooks convicted over the assault in 2023 and sentenced to four decades behind bars. Brooks pleaded guilty to first-degree felony injury to a child and is serving his sentence in a Texas prison. The case highlighted the challenges faced by families dealing with severe child abuse cases, particularly when the perpetrator comes from wealth and resources that could fund extensive legal defenses.
The legal proceedings revealed the extent of Blake’s transformation from a happy, healthy toddler to a child requiring constant medical intervention. Buzbee emphasized the jury’s response to meeting Blake during the trial. “And they met the precious, beautiful, miracle of a child, Blake Sampson,” he said. Court records detailed how Brooks had initially refused to call for help even as Ball insisted he contact emergency services after seeing her son’s condition via video call. The case drew attention not only for its record-setting award but also for the stark contrast between Brooks’ wealthy background and his violent actions against a defenseless child.
Buzbee framed the verdict as a statement about protecting children in Texas and across the nation. “We claim to value children in our society. This Texas jury stepped up and showed that,” Buzbee said. “I hope that through this verdict this precious child gets all the care he will need and hopefully make his life as good as it can be made under the circumstances. Don’t mess with Texas children.” The family’s legal team has indicated they believe the substantial award reflects both the severity of Blake’s injuries and the need to ensure his lifelong care needs are met.
The case now moves to the collection phase, with attorneys working to recover the $1.1 billion judgment from Brooks’ assets and trust funds. Blake continues to require intensive medical care and support, with the massive award designed to cover his needs for the remainder of his life.
