Posted on 01/27/2015 2:23:31 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
AUSTIN – A state judge on Tuesday refused to throw out an indictment accusing former Gov. Rick Perry of abusing his veto authority to try to force out a local prosecutor.
Perry, who is actively eyeing another presidential bid, was indicted last summer. The charges stem from his 2013 threat to veto funding for a public corruption unit overseen by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned after a drunken-driving arrest.
Lehmberg stayed in office after serving jail time, and Perry axed the funding. The Republican said that Lehmberg, a Democrat, had lost the public’s confidence.
A grand jury indicted Perry on two counts: abuse of official capacity, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison; and coercion of a public servant.
That second charge was described by special prosecutor Michael McCrum as a third-degree felony carrying a punishment of two to 10 years in prison.
Judge Bert Richardson said in his ruling, however, that the second count as presented in the indictment was instead a Class A misdemeanor. He also said the state must amend its filing to meet a concern raised by Perry's lawyers.
Perry’s high-profile defense team contended that the case against Perry violates his constitutional rights and his authority as governor. In a signal of the high stakes, Perry has paid them more than $1 million from his campaign fund.
Perry's team on Tuesday quickly filed notice that he will appeal the decision.
"The court followed the law and exercised a bunch of wisdom," said McCrum.
BEYOND DESPICABLE.
The Austin Leftist garbage left over from Ronnie Earle’s despicable tenure continues to try to use the judiciary to smear and terrorize the Republican Party in Texas.
From Kay Bailey Hutchison to Rick Perry the stench of the Austin DA’s office stinks up all of Texas.
If he hadn’t hired Steve Schmidt, I’d have a whole lot more sympathy for him.
Things to remember:
1) Its Austin which is Commie Central in Texas
2) The DA is in bed with all the Austin people and probably the judge too.
This whole thing is so bogus it should have been thrown out long ago but hey its Texas politics.
I lived in Austin when Earle filed against Kay Hutchison.
It was so damn nauseating I almost staged my own demonstration, and I ain’t particularly fond of Miss Go Along to Get Along.
Same guy who went after DeLay. And DeLay got out of it.
What they do is use false charges to smear the Right. If they can get it as far as a jury trial, anything can happen. If you get a low IQ jury....might get a conviction.
How low can you stoop. Pure Banana Republic third world thugocracy.
Right this is a fraudulent smear and now Perry has to go through the process in order to get acquitted. They just want to ruin his run for President. Frankly it only makes me like the guy better.
Soul Bruthas!
*ping* the TX list please. ;-)
“The court followed the law and exercised a bunch of wisdom,” said McCrum.
He can’t distinguish between wisdom and ordure.
I’m hoping that Patrick and Abbott go thru with their campaign promise and totally defund the office.
They’d be negligent NOT to.
What else would you expect from the “People’s Republic of Austin”....lol
He gets in trouble for this? Look at all the corruption in the White House and they get nothing. Pitiful.
Perry has a tremendous amount of power in Texas but republicans, for all their faults, tend not to abuse power banana republic style.
On this point I am torn. Part of me wishes that Perry would crush this pissant judge and prosecutor just to show the left that turnabout is fair play. The other half of me feels that leftists will never give up corruption even if they are often hoisted on their own petard. If non leftists begin to behave corruptly, even if only to crush leftists, is it not one more step down the wrong path?
“If non leftists begin to behave corruptly, even if only to crush leftists, is it not one more step down the wrong path?”
No. People need to realize that we’re at war.
If you follow the rules while the other side makes up rules as they go along, guess who’s going to lose.
The crooked judge who allowed this bogus case to move forward should be impeached, removed from the bench and thrown in prison for life. That’s following the rules.
who’s next? president scott walker?
This cretin Obama is above the law and the news media hides all his crime. impeach Obama then indict ,convict imprison,apply penalty for treason.
Yes democrats like Obama and others are above the law. If a Republican sneezes he goes to jail or is sued (Sarah Palin, Delay were innocent but prosecuted and or sued in court for nothing)
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