Texas AG Ken Paxton to appear as defendant in Houston felony courtroom in Thursday hearing

Ryan Autullo and Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will appear as a defendant in a Houston criminal courtroom Thursday as a long-delayed felony securities fraud case against him moves forward, his lawyer told the American-Statesman on Tuesday.

The morning setting in Judge Andrea Beall's courtroom is separate from Paxton's upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate where he faces removal from office. Paxton is expected to be joined in court by his lawyers. It is unclear if the judge will set a trial date.

More: Ken Paxton loses bid to have criminal case against him tried in friendly Collin County

Paxton, 60, has faced these charges since his indictment in 2015 but, to this point, has mostly steered clear of a courtroom. The case has been hung up on issues related to pay for the special prosecutors in the case and disputes on where the trial would be held. Recently, Paxton lost a fight to transfer the case to Collin County, where he lives. Prosecutors argued they could not get a fair trial on Paxton's home turf.

"We raised speedy trial concerns years ago, but it was overridden by the special prosecutors' concerns for payment, which further delayed due process," Paxton's lawyer, Philip Hilder, said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a press conference on a statewide effort to combat opioids among high schoolers at the William P. Clements State Office Building on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a press conference on a statewide effort to combat opioids among high schoolers at the William P. Clements State Office Building on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Paxton is charged with failing to register as a securities adviser, and of defrauding investors in a Dallas-area tech startup by not disclosing he was being paid by the company, Servergy, to recruit them.

Paxton, a three-term Republican, has been suspended from office without pay since late May when the Texas House voted overwhelmingly to advance 20 articles of impeachment to the Senate. Paxton has denied wrongdoing and cast himself as a victim of a political witch hunt.

Beall, a Democrat, is a former prosecutor now in her first year as a judge in Harris County.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas AG Ken Paxton will appear in Houston felony courtroom Thursday