Tag Archives: Collin County

Paxton trial moved to Harris County

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The circus is coming to town, with none of those morally questionable animal acts to get all angsty about. Attorney General Ken Paxton will face a jury in Harris County on felony criminal charges he committed securities fraud and failed … 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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Paxton beats SEC rap again

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. A federal judge has again thrown out securities fraud charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending one of two legal battles that have dogged Paxton for close to a year. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant … Continue reading →

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Our first look at Senate district data

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks at the data we now have. In the state Senate, one Republican — Don Huffines of Dallas — is now representing a district that Clinton easily won, while two more — Konni Burton of Colleyville and Joan … 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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The people who would have been denied the opportunity to vote in 2016

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There were a lot of them. At least 16,400 Texans who voted in the November election wouldn’t have been able to cast ballots if the state’s voter identification law had been in full effect, state voting records show. […] Through … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors want change of venue

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

At this point, who can blame them? The prosecutors in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s securities fraud case are asking for a change of venue, arguing they cannot get a fair trial in Collin County. The prosecutors say Judge George Gallagher … 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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Texas’ first transgender Mayor

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Jess Herbst, Mayor of New Hope, Texas. The mayor of a small Collin County town has become the first known openly transgender elected official in Texas history. Jess Herbst, who was elected mayor of New Hope last May, came … Continue reading →

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Appeals court tosses Paxton prosecutor payment lawsuit again

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Round and round we go. The three lawyers prosecuting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can continue to get paid, at least for now, a Dallas appeals court decided this week. For more than a year, local real estate developer Jeffory … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s trial date set

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars, and stock up on the popcorn. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on criminal securities fraud charges is set to begin May 1. Jury selection will be held April 20-21 and April 27-28, according to a recent … Continue reading →

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Rep. Sam Johnson to retire

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One of Texas’ longest-serving members of Congress will call it quits next year. U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson announced Friday morning that he will not seek re-election to represent his Plano-based seat in Congress. Johnson, a Vietnam War veteran, made the … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Don’t be mesmerized by the Clinton/Trump numbers

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the DMN: Donald Trump may have carried Texas and clinched the White House in November, but support for the Republican presidential nominee waned in parts of the Dallas area — news that, in a typical election year, could spell … Continue reading →

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Paxton wants SEC’s documents on him

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More twists and turns. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attorneys have gone to court, seeking to force the Securities and Exchange Commission to produce notes of their interviews with the investors whose allegations form the basis of the civil case … Continue reading →

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Collin County Commissioners Court are a bunch of jerks

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable. In an attempt to lay the legal groundwork to quit funding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s prosecution, Collin County is refusing to pay a longtime local attorney for his work defending indigent clients. On Monday, the Commissioners Court voted … Continue reading →

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Statewide review: 2016 was like 2008, but not in a good way

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no point in beating around the bush, so I’ll just come out and say it: Despite the excitement about increases in voter registration and heavy early voting turnout. statewide Democratic candidates outside of Hillary Clinton generally did not do … Continue reading →

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Initial thoughts: Statewide

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

See part 1 on Harris County here. The current statewide tally is Trump 52.39%, Clinton 43.34%. She received 3,848,617 votes to his 4,651,955. That’s an improvement of some 540K votes over Obama in 2012, which I certainly would have deemed … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks for SEC charges to be dismissed again

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Once more, with feeling. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked a federal judge to once again dismiss a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission complaint accusing him of defrauding investors in private business deals in 2011. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

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Off to trial for Paxton

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No more appeals, so a trial is in the works. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are no longer asking to have a state securities fraud case against him dismissed, moving him closer to a trial on the criminal … Continue reading →

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Collin County won’t fight its special prosecutor bill

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For now, anyway. The Collin County Commissioners Court on Monday voted to take “a careful review” of the cost of prosecuting Attorney General Ken Paxton, while appealing to residents to set aside emotions and avoid attacking the court’s future decisions. … Continue reading →

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Help a crony out?

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Collin County, y’all. Collin County lawmakers debated intervening in Ken Paxton’s legal woes by pressuring county leaders to cut funding for the case, according to a series of private text messages exchanged last week. Taxpayers in Paxton’s home county are … Continue reading →

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SEC to try again with Paxton

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed… The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is not giving up on its case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. The commission filed amended civil charges against Paxton on Friday, two weeks after a federal judge … Continue reading →

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CCA declines to take Paxton off the hook

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. The highest criminal court in Texas said Wednesday it will not hear Ken Paxton’s appeal of securities fraud charges, putting the attorney general on a path to facing a trial in the coming months. “Today’s ruling marks an … Continue reading →

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Paxton beats SEC rap

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Two down, one left. A judge has thrown out the federal civil case accusing Attorney General Ken Paxton of securities fraud, giving him his biggest legal victory yet since the allegations surfaced more than a year ago. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s day in SEC court

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a slightly misleading headline, but you get the point. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will argue Friday morning in a Sherman courtroom that the federal civil fraud case against him should be dismissed, their latest effort to … 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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District appeals court declines to reconsider Paxton indictment

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. A state appeals court Thursday rejected Attorney General Ken Paxton’s motion to reconsider its June 1 ruling that upheld criminal charges against him. The two-sentence order from the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals gave no reason for the … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks appeals court to reconsider

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty please? Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday asked a state appeals court to reconsider its recent ruling that upheld the criminal charges against him. The motion did not address the two most serious charges alleging that Paxton … 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’s day in appellate court

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The grand jury was out to get Ken Paxton, apparently. Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday tried to cast doubt on the makeup of the grand jury that indicted him. They’re hoping to overturn a lower court’s decision … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutor payment lawsuit tossed again

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

And again I say, good. The Fifth Court of Appeals has dismissed a challenge to the payments being made to three sets of special prosecutors appointed in connection with criminal charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Collin County taxpayer … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s pity party

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, boo hoo hoo. Attorney General Ken Paxton has blasted his indictments and other legal problems – including a previously undisclosed IRS investigation and frozen accounts – as a political witch-hunt fueled by fellow conservatives and the media. At a … Continue reading →

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