A lawsuit filed this week accuses Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price of defaming a sitting Dallas County district court judge and seeks up to $1 million in damages.
On Wednesday, Judge Vonda Bailey, who sits in the 255th District Court and is seeking reelection this year, filed a complaint arguing that Price launched a “sustained and targeted campaign to damage her credibility and reputation.”
Judge Bailey alleges that during the first few months after she assumed the bench in 2022, Price “positioned himself as an ally to Judge Bailey,” even stopping by her chambers for lunch and “unsolicited mentorship.”
“Despite knowing that Judge Bailey was a married woman, Commissioner Price made repeated attempts to insert himself into her professional and personal space,” the lawsuit alleges. “When Judge Bailey did not reciprocate these overtures, his demeanor shifted. His friendliness faded.”
The lawsuit details comments Price made at a Commissioners Court meeting in September, when he said Judge Bailey’s case clearance rate was 28 percent and that she fudged the numbers to make it appear as if her clearance rate was 98 percent.
“None of this was true,” the lawsuit reads. “The Dallas County produced and publicly available Texas Judicial branch statistics data reflected her clearance rate average at over 90 percent, some months even over 100 percent, but never remotely close to 28 percent.”
As of Friday, counsel for the defense had not filed an appearance, and the commissioner did not respond to an email seeking comment.
In September, after learning of the comments Price made at a Commissioners Court meeting — comments that are now the basis of this lawsuit — The Lawbook tried four times via email and twice by phone over a period of 10 days to reach him for comment. Those attempts were unsuccessful.
According to the lawsuit, Price made additional comments at a Sept. 16 Commissioners Court meeting, accusing Judge Bailey of judicial misconduct and implying she was a “low clearance rate judge.”
“The implication was clear, he wanted to paint Judge Bailey as a person stealing County time and resources,” the lawsuit alleges. “He presented no documents, statistics, or records to support his allegations of misconduct. He also presented neither clearance-rate evidence nor any investigation results.”
Judge Bailey alleges Price “escalated” the matter with comments he made Oct. 7, alleging Judge Bailey was absent from the bench for 131 days. Judge Bailey also alleges that she was implicated in an Oct. 21 statement by Price that “people are not performing.”
“Other individuals began repeating Commissioner Price’s false statements,” the lawsuit alleges. “On Jan. 10 [2026], Terri Hodge of the Dallas County Democratic Party, speaking for the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas’ Endorsement Screenings, stated that Commissioner Price claimed Judge Bailey had missed 167 days from work between December 2024 and March 2025. He has also attempted to influence members of the clergy and their congregations.”
“Commissioner Price also influenced volunteers to go door-to-door expressing to citizens his discontent about Judge Bailey and reiterating the false claims he raised in Commissioners Court.”
The lawsuit is seeking damages, to include exemplary damages, for mental anguish, reputational damage and attorney fees and costs.
The case has been assigned to Dallas County District Judge Veretta Frazier.
Bailey is represented by Peter J. Clarke and Errol Jones of Clarke Law in Houston.
The case number is DC-26-01085.