A Texas oil company heir has been ordered to pay a historic $1.1 billion to the toddler who brutally beat him, leaving him with serious injuries that required 24-hour care.Charles Brooks Jr., 34, will pay $291 million in compensatory damages and $810 million in punitive damages after a civil jury ruled in favor of Madison Paul, his ex-wife, and her son, Steven Sampson.
The child is seven years old. He received $800 million, while his parents would each receive $5 million. This ruling is the largest in the history of the United States for assault on a child.Brooks, the great-grandson of Humble Oil founding investor Percy Turner, is already serving a 40-year prison sentence for the attack, which left his stepson bedridden and dependent on a tracheostomy tube, a wheelchair and a ventilator. The boy cannot walk and will need full-time care for the rest of his life.
The attack occurred on April 22, 2021, while the child’s mother was at work. Brooks was supposed to babysit the 2-year-old and call his wife, claiming the child was “unresponsive” after falling from the kitchen table during a visit to Brooks’ grandmother in Dallas.The mother, Paul, asked to see her son via video call and saw her toddler “barely breathing” while Brooks ignored her pleas to call 911. Brooks did not take the severity of the injuries seriously and insisted the child “would fall asleep” and was placed in an ice bath.
He also threatened Paul, saying he would “slit her throat” and “f**k kill her” if she called the emergency services.Paul ignored the threats and called 911. First responders discovered that the child had been severely beaten, unresponsive, and had adult bite marks on his legs. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, chronic respiratory failure, a seizure disorder, urethral trauma and a traumatic retinal hemorrhage, according to court records. “(The child’s) life is a fraction of what it once was, and he will never grow into the strong, healthy, happy boy he deserved due to Brooks’ horrific, violent and horrific behavior,” the court petition said.Attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents Ball and her son, said: “We claim to value the children in our community. The Texas jury stepped up and showed that. Don’t mess with Texas kids. I hope that through this ruling this precious child gets all the care he will need, and I hope you make his life the best it can be under the circumstances.”Brooks has a history of criminal convictions, including robbery, aggravated burglary, gun charges and drug possession. After the assault, he attempted to flee by cutting off his ankle monitor and was later found at a bar in South Texas. He is currently booked into the San Saba County Jail and is eligible for parole in 2042, with an expected release date of January 30, 2062.This ruling represents one of the largest civil decisions ever issued in a child abuse case in the United States.
