Attorney General Ken Paxton to stand trial on state charges April 15
HOUSTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) — After years of delays, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will stand trial on state securities fraud charges April 15.
Harris County Judge Andrea Beall announced the court date during a hearing Monday morning. It came eight years after Paxton was first indicted on the charges by a Collin County grand jury.
Paxton has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree securities fraud and a third-degree charge of not registering with the state securities board.
The attorney general's legal troubles are once again in the spotlight after the Texas Senate acquitted him on the impeachment articles more than one month ago.
The special prosecutors told reporters they believe Paxton will get a fair trial.
"In this building, unlike wait—give me a second—oh, the Senate, the playing field is level, and the truth matters. The truth is Mr. Paxton is going to have to answer for what he did eight years ago," Brian Wice said.
Paxton said nothing as he walked into the Houston courtroom or during his hearing.
One major issue the judge is still considering is how much Wice and another special prosecutor, Kent Schaeffer, should be paid.
Paxton's lawyers have questioned it from the beginning.
Philip Hilder told reporters, "The $300 hourly rate they were given is not in accordance with the law. They're upset about not getting something that was not in accordance with the law."
Wice and Schaeffer said they haven't been paid since 2016.
But Hilder blamed the prosecutors for the years of delays in the case. "It's 'show me the money,' all about the money to them. That's why this case has been delayed from the get-go. You may not know it, but they've already been paid $300,000."
Schaeffer said it's Paxton and his legal team who have been trying to defund the prosecution against him. "They want to derail the payment because they know if they can shut us down financially—where we can't subpoena witnesses—we can't bring witnesses to court because we're not being paid. Hopefully the case will just go away and that's what they're trying to do."
A retired judge and a former Dallas County prosecutor told CBS News Texas that usually, special prosecutors are paid the same as appointed defense attorneys according to a fee schedule in each county.
But they also said the judge has the final say.
There has been no word yet when Judge Beall will issue her ruling.
Collin County taxpayers will have to pay the special prosecutors.
Paxton is also still under federal investigation into allegations of bribery made by his former top lieutenants, who went to the FBI more than three years ago.