Collin County Should Know Cost Soon For Paxton Trial
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COLLIN COUNTY (CBS11) - Collin County commissioners believe the county shouldn't have to pay more than $33,000 to special prosecutors handling the trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton. County Judge Keith Self though, told CBS11 the county will pay whatever the presiding judge in the case rules is appropriate.
The amount is far less than the previous estimated price tag of $285,000 to prosecute Paxton. Commissioners based the figure on their belief special prosecutors are to be paid under rules for funding indigent defense.
In Collin County those rules limit spending on attorneys to $100 per hour for pleas, and $1000 per day for trials. In Tarrant County, where Paxton's last hearing was, Self said different local rules increase the total possible spending to $117,000. Commissioners passed a non-binding resolution Tuesday urging the use of local rules for payment.
Self sent a letter to District Judge George Gallagher Wednesday, asking him to tell the county what rules he planned to use for adopting a budget for the case.
Prosecutors said during Paxton's arraignment last month they have already gathered thousands of pages of documents in the case. Paxton is accused of offering to sell stock to investors but not disclosing it to the state.
When asked if the move was political, intended to hamper the prosecution, Self, who has been a donor to Paxton in the past, said "No, no no. We're going to pay whatever the judge tells us to."
The county is putting together its 2016 budget and Self said he expects to have a decision from the judge before the deadline to post the budget September 14.
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