Tag Archives: Kent Schaffer

Paxton (again) wants another judge on his case

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Round and round they go. Defense attorneys for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — whose indictment for felony securities fraud is now more than five years old — are again asking for a different judge to oversee the case. It’s … Continue reading →

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A whole lot of Paxton case news all of a sudden

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. A Houston appeals court on Monday abated a recent decision to move the criminal cases against Attorney General Ken Paxton from Harris to Collin County, giving a new judge on the case the chance to revisit that order. … Continue reading →

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Move to Collin County on hold, Paxton judge recuses himself

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Stay with me here. The Harris County state district judge who handed Attorney General Ken Paxton a big win by moving his criminal case back to Collin County two weeks ago is now recusing himself because Paxton’s office is representing … Continue reading →

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Back to Collin County for the Paxton trial

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Where it all began. Years after it was sent to Harris County, the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will move back to his native Collin County, a Harris County judge ruled Thursday. Paxton, a Republican, was indicted … Continue reading →

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Will the Paxton case move back to Collin County?

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Team Paxton is asking for that to happen. A Harris County judge said Tuesday he will rule by the end of next month on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to move his felony securities fraud case back to his home … Continue reading →

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Smoots-Thomas suspended from the bench

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

What you’d expect. A district court judge in Harris County has been suspended after she was indicted on federal wire fraud charges for allegedly misspending campaign donations. Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas, 44, will be removed from her bench without pay until … Continue reading →

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District Court Judge Smoots-Thomas accused of wire fraud

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Yikes. A Harris County judge is facing federal charges that accuse her of using campaign donations for personal expenses, including for mortgage payments, private school tuition and travel. Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas, 44, is charged with wire fraud charges, according to … Continue reading →

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Paxton wants to move his case back to Collin County

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Of course they do. Paxton’s defense team has asked that the case be moved back to his hometown of Collin County, years after it was moved from there to Harris County. The case was moved hundreds of miles southeast after … Continue reading →

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We return once again to the Paxton prosecutor pay fight

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is an interesting argument. The prosecutors appointed years ago to take Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to trial will continue to fight over their pay rate, lengthening a dispute that has already delayed the case for well over a … Continue reading →

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Will Ken Paxton ever be prosecuted?

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

At this point, I’d have to say it’s very unlikely. After mulling the question for nearly six months, the nine Republican judges on Texas’ highest criminal court will not reconsider their 2018 ruling that threatens to imperil the criminal case … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors take their shot at a do-over

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. In a fiery filing that amounts to a legal Hail Mary, the attorneys appointed to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton implored the state’s highest criminal court to take the unusual step of considering their case again because … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors want another shot

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. The attorneys appointed to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton indicated in a court filing this week that they aren’t giving up a long-running fight to take the state’s top lawyer to court — at least not yet. … Continue reading →

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CCA may have killed the Paxton prosecution

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Just, ugh. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday potentially imperiled the long-delayed criminal prosecution of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, ruling that payments to special prosecutors were outside legal limits. If they cannot get paid, the prosecutors … Continue reading →

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Don’t expect a Ken Paxton trial to happen this year

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Delays, delays, nothing but delays. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was indicted for fraud nearly three years ago but is unlikely to go on trial before Election Day. Paxton’s trials are on hold while the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decides whether the prosecutors on the case are … Continue reading →

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CCA to review Paxton prosecutors pay case

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The state’s highest criminal court agreed Wednesday to take a closer look at prosecutors’ long-running fight to get paid for their handling of the securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The move by the state’s Court … Continue reading →

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In support of the Paxton prosecutors

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. In an unusual step, six prosecutors and Texas’ criminal defense attorneys association have joined a continuing legal storm over how much the special prosecutors overseeing the criminal case against Attorney General Ken Paxton should get paid. Preventing … Continue reading →

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Paxton trial delayed again

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This will happen some day. I hope. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial has been put off for a third time. The judge in the securities fraud case against Paxton sided Wednesday with prosecutors who had been pushing for another trial … Continue reading →

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CCA stays Paxton prosecutor pay ruling

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of sanity at last, though we’re not out of the woods yet. Texas’ highest criminal court has stepped into the long-running dispute over the prosecutors’ pay in the securities fraud case against Attorney General Ken Paxton, putting on … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors officially petition the CCA over their pay

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Last chance. The special prosecutors in the securities fraud case against Attorney General Ken Paxton are asking the state’s highest criminal court to help them get paid. On Tuesday, the prosecutors asked the Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse a … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors to petition CCA

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Last chance to get paid. The state’s highest criminal court will get a chance to decide whether the special prosecutors appointed in the criminal cases against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can be paid the $300-an-hour rate they were promised. … Continue reading →

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5th Court of Appeals screws Paxton prosecutors

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The prosecutors pursuing charges against Attorney General Ken Paxton haven’t been paid in more than a year and a half — and they will continue to wait on a payday. On Monday, the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas … Continue reading →

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First Paxton trial hearing in Harris County

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not much happened, but there are some big questions to address. The securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton kicked off Thursday in Harris County with no new trial date being set. Instead, the new judge in the … Continue reading →

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Collin County would like us to pick up the Paxton prosecutor tab

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll bet they would. As Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal troubles head into their third year, there’s another question aside from whether he’ll beat the rap — who will pay for it all? Taxpayers in Collin County, where Paxton was … Continue reading →

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More on the attack on the Paxton special prosecutors’ pay

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Lawyer. As courtroom twists go, this one is practically unheard-of: On the brink of bringing Texas’ attorney general, Ken Paxton, to trial on felony securities fraud charges, the government’s prosecutors are threatening to bail out of the case … Continue reading →

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Paxton case gets moved out of Collin County

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s upcoming trials will be moved out of Collin County, the judge presiding over his criminal fraud case decided Thursday. The ruling is a major victory for the prosecutors, who have for months argued … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors ask for delay

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Delay for pay, as it were. The special prosecutors handling the securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are asking to put off his trial until they can get paid. On Thursday, the prosecutors proposed moving the trial, … Continue reading →

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Twice the trials, twice the fun

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Paxton special prosecutors want to separate the charges into two trials. Special prosecutors said Thursday they would like to try Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton first on charges he failed to register as an investment advisor, pushing a lengthy … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutor pay suspended

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Whiplash! Collin County must immediately stop paying the three lawyers prosecuting Ken Paxton’s criminal fraud case, a Dallas court has said. The 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas on Monday temporarily halted the payments — the result of a lawsuit … Continue reading →

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State Bar dismisses other complaint against Paxton

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No matter what else happens, our ethically challenged Attorney General can say he beat at least one rap against him. Attorney General Ken Paxton telling county clerks they do not have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples is not … Continue reading →

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Paxton appeals to CCA

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Last chance to avoid a trial or a plea deal. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is appealing the securities fraud charges against him to the state’s highest criminal court, in one last bid to dismiss the case before it potentially … Continue reading →

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5th Court of Appeals refuses to toss Paxton indictments

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. A Dallas appeals court on Wednesday upheld Attorney General Ken Paxton’s three felony fraud indictments, a decision he is likely to appeal to the highest criminal court in the state. “We are gratified but not surprised that just … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors file their response briefs at the 5th Court of Appeals

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In sum: Don’t think about Rick Perry! A Travis County court’s decision to throw out Rick Perry’s abuse-of-power indictments should have no bearing on Ken Paxton’s securities fraud case, the team prosecuting the first-term attorney general wrote in their latest … Continue reading →

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Court hears arguments over paying Paxton’s prosecutors

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I am rooting for this to be thrown out of court. Dallas County Court at Law Judge Mark Greenberg heard arguments Friday over jurisdictional issues in the civil case brought by taxpayer Jeffory Blackard. Blackard is challenging the $300 per … Continue reading →

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Collin County argues against anti-Paxton prosecutor lawsuit

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Reluctantly. [Collin County Commissioners] Court on Thursday urged a Dallas judge to drop a lawsuit seeking to block payment to the special prosecutors. The suit, filed in December by local real estate developer and Paxton donor Jeffory Blackard, should be … Continue reading →

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