Creepy lawyer, 76, was filmed groping female attorney, 43, in court… now he has launched brazen scheme to avoid paying her $5 million damages
A 76-year-old Texas lawyer, Allan Manka, is fighting to overturn a $5 million (£3.9 million) damages judgment awarded to fellow attorney Michelle Acosta, 43, after he was caught on video groping her at a courthouse. Acosta sued Manka in 2021, alleging he grabbed her buttocks two years earlier while she was representing her brother during divorce proceedings, and a court subsequently ordered him to pay substantial damages. The case highlights ongoing concerns about sexual misconduct within legal settings and the difficulties victims can face in securing accountability even after winning in court.
Rather than accepting the judgment, Manka has now launched an appeal in an attempt to avoid paying the $5 million awarded to Acosta. The incident and subsequent legal battle have drawn attention because it involves two practising attorneys and was captured on courthouse footage, adding weight to Acosta's original allegations. Details of the appeal's specific legal grounds were not fully outlined in the available report.
- Texas lawyer, 76, filmed groping attorney, 43, in courthouse
- Ordered to pay $5 million in damages after 2021 lawsuit
- He is now appealing to avoid paying the judgment
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Allan Manka is a 76-year-old lawyer based in Texas who was ordered to pay $5 million (about £3.9 million) in damages to Michelle Acosta, a 43-year-old fellow attorney. The case stems from an incident in 2019, when Acosta was representing her brother in divorce proceedings at a courthouse and alleged that Manka groped her. Courthouse video footage of the incident became a key piece of evidence in the case that followed.
Acosta filed a lawsuit against Manka in 2021 over the alleged assault. A court ultimately sided with her, awarding substantial damages, in a case that touches on broader questions about workplace conduct and safety within the legal profession, including how such complaints are handled when they involve practising lawyers on courthouse premises.
The matter remains ongoing, as Manka has not accepted the ruling and is continuing to contest it through the legal system. Because both parties are attorneys and the alleged incident was caught on camera, the case has attracted attention as a test of how sexual misconduct claims are pursued and enforced within the justice system itself.