Price Asking Taxpayers To Pick Up Legal Tab
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County commissioner John Wiley Price is asking taxpayers to foot the bill for his legal defense. But he was a no-show at a hearing in federal court on Tuesday morning, and that had the judge searching for answers.
Price was arrested and indicted this past summer as part of a Dallas corruption investigation. He has since pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence all along.
Back in September, a federal judge already denied Price's request for a court-appointed attorney -- which would be paid for by taxpayers -- saying that Price could afford to pay for his own legal defense. But the commissioner is continuing to ask the judge for an attorney.
Price's efforts hit a snag on Tuesday morning when he never walked through the courtroom doors. Instead, Price was at Dallas County Commissioners Court, and Judge Barbara Lynn was very annoyed. Lynn said that she has concerns, and needs updated and detailed information about Price's assets and salary.
Lynn added that, based on salary alone, she thinks that Price makes enough money to cover his legal fees. Price and his current attorney rescheduled the hearing on this matter for next Tuesday afternoon. Lynn promised that she will have a lot of questions about Price's finances.
But at least one protester was outside of the courthouse Tuesday, opposing Price's request to get money from taxpayers to fund his defense.
The embattled commissioner was also set to ask the judge for two separate trials -- one for alleged bribery and another for alleged tax fraud. However, at Tuesday's hearing, Price's attorney said that this is no longer wanted. Price's federal trial is set to begin in January of next year.
Fellow commissioner Mike Cantrell pushed for Price to be suspended from Dallas County Commissioners Court shortly after his indictment, but the efforts failed and Price refused to step down.
