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AUSTIN, TX — Ronnie Earle, who served as Travis County district attorney for more than three decades, died Sunday after a long illness. Earle was 78 years old.

The man they called “the Hammer,” who used Democrats as anvils, got a little satisfaction Thursday. An appeals court in Texas reversed the money-laundering conviction of Tom DeLay and told him to go and sin no more. Time and events move quickly in the modern media, and a new crime of the century arrives with the noise of every news cycle. The final acquittal of Tom DeLay, who was once the Republican majority leader in the House, is but a footnote to the news. He was once the most feared man on Capitol Hill, merciless in pursuit, and like all...

Back in November, we editorialized that to get a better idea of how credible is the conviction of Tom DeLay, "look to the sentencing phase." Well, the sentence has been rendered and it's easy to see that the conviction has virtually no credibility.

This is so potentially great, even greater than we thought it could be. For a while, ex-Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle talked about running for governor. That could have led to a November battle between Democrat Earle and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, now running against Gov. Rick Perry in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Earle v. Hutchison would have been a rematch of the battle previously known as The State of Texas v. Hutchison, a long-ago criminal case in which Earle was The State of Texas and he wanted to send Hutchison to prison for up to 51 years. The...

Former DA Earle running for Lt. Gov. By Kate Alexander | Friday, December 18, 2009, 06:36 PM Former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is running for lieutenant governor of Texas. Earle, who retired last year after more than three decades as district attorney, filed paperwork with the Texas Democratic Party late Friday to seek the party’s nomination for the statewide office. The winner of the Democratic primary in March will probably face the Republican incumbent David Dewhurst next fall. At this point, Earle is the sole filer for the party’s nomination, but Austin deli owner Marc Katz is...

Now that Congress has recessed, and since the conventions aren’t for a couple of weeks, Thursday’s The Situation Room turned back to the "hot" issue of what many liberals are calling on congressional Democrats to do: arrest and lock-up Karl Rove for his failure to testify on the issue of the firing of U.S. attorneys in late 2006. CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, as part of a report on this possible move by the Democrats, conducted a search for the supposed jail inside the U.S. Capitol. He also addressed the little-used power of the legislature to arrest and try government officials...

Ronnie Earle's legacy as Travis County district attorney If Ronnie Earle were a fisherman, he might spend time talking about the ones that got away. Others certainly do. Earle, who officially vacated his post as Travis County district attorney on Thursday, might be remembered most for the failed prosecutions of some of the biggest names in Texas politics. Indeed, his short-term legacy will be influenced heavily by unfinished business. Yet to be resolved are indictments that caused former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay — the no-compromise conservative firebrand — to step down. Then, of course, there are the unresolved Yogurt Shop...

WASHINGTON — Nearly 32 months after a Texas grand jury indicted him for election-law violations, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay still hasn’t gotten his day in court on one count of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. More than two years ago DeLay surrendered to a Harris County jail. Even by Texas standards, that lag is an unusually long time for a relatively minor criminal case to remain unresolved.

After more than three decades as the Travis County District Attorney, Democrat Ronnie Earle's seat is up for grabs. It won't be taken by a Republican since no one from the GOP filed to run in the March primary. The main watchdog position in Texas will stay in the hands of Democrats. "Obviously the issue that sets this particular district attorney position apart from any other in the state of Texas is the presence of the Public Integrity Unit," Travis County Democratic Chairman Chris Elliott said. The district attorney doubles as the primary ethics enforcer for the state government. Republicans...

AUSTIN—Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle on Friday announced he won’t seek re-election next year. The 65-year-old Democrat was at the center of the criminal investigation of Republican former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay quit Congress last year. Earle’s term has one year remaining, and his resignation will bring to an end to his three-decade reign in which he battled some of the biggest names in Texas politics. Earle has been criticized by DeLay and other Republicans, who say some of his prosecutions of elected leaders are politically motivated. "This is a no-brainer for him. He never had...

Candidates lining up to replace longtime Travis County district attorney. Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who has led that office since 1977, told his staff today that he will not seek re-election. He was expected to issue a statement later. Earle, 65, will serve the one year remaining on his term, but his retirement will end an era. "Is the district attorney's job an elective office?" Ken Oden, a former county attorney, once quipped about his friend's long tenure. Earle, a Democrat, might not be done with politics. By retiring, he would be available for a gubernatorial bid in...

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay finally won one Wednesday in his effort to beat back a campaign-related indictment in Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decided not to reinstate one charge of conspiracy to violate a state election law that had already been thrown out by a lower court judge.

A state district judge dealt a crippling blow Thursday to the nearly four-year prosecution of the Texas Association of Business, throwing out a felony indictment against the state's largest business organization. District Judge Mike Lynch ruled that 2002 pre-election ads produced by the group did not expressly advocate the election or defeat of Texas legislative candidates. Travis County prosecutors had said the group broke state election law by using corporate money to support candidates. MOST POPULAR STORIES Man's body found in East Austin A death in Caldwell Milwaukee deals Ford to Toronto Athletic director Dodds to get raise District looks...

- - Several judges have conflicts similar to those of 2 jurists who had to step down AUSTIN - The appearance of possible bias forced two judges out of the criminal case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay last year, and similar issues could taint some judges on two appeals panels that are now considering the charges against the former majority leader. The two three-judge panels on the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin are considering appeals that could effectively end the DeLay prosecution. One panel is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case Wednesday. Several judges on the panels...

AUSTIN (AP) - Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay will move a step closer this week to resolving felony charges against him, but the appeals court hearing may remind voters about his legal troubles at a time when he is trying to win re-election to Congress. >>>Prosecutors on Wednesday (3/22/06-TAB)<<< will try to convince the 3rd Court of Appeals to restore the criminal conspiracy and money laundering charges against DeLay that cost him his post as House majority leader last fall. DeLay also has one other money laundering count against him. State district Judge Pat Priest dismissed the conspiracy part of the...

DeLay Gets Court to Halt, Void Subpoenas Mar 13, 7:09 PM (ET) By SUZANNE GAMBOA WASHINGTON (AP) - A Texas appeals court Monday granted Rep. Tom DeLay's request to stop a prosecutor from filing subpoenas in the former majority leader's pending money laundering case. The Third Court of Appeals panel in Austin, Texas, also said that several subpoenas issued by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle are null and void because DeLay's trial is on hold. In addition, any outstanding subpoenas issued before the trial was put on hold are suspended during the stay, the court said.

arly voting results in the Fort Bend County Republican primary election show U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay with more than twice the vote of his nearest rival, at more than 59%. Republican challenger Tom Campbell has 28.74% of the vote, followed by Mike Fjetland with 6.93% and Pat Baig with 4.65%. Ron Paul, incumbent congressman in District 14, polled more than 80% of the Fort Bend County early vote, while challenger Cynthia Sinatra got 19.41%. Glenn Hegar took the early-voting lead in the race for Texas Sen. District 18, with 2,292 – or more than 57% – of the vote, while...

Defense counsel calls subpoenas a publicity stunt AUSTIN - The criminal case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay is on hold before the Texas appeals courts, but prosecutors continue to issue subpoenas about DeLay's political controversies that are seemingly unrelated to the money-laundering charges against him."It's a publicity stunt," said DeLay lead attorney Dick DeGuerin of Houston. "At last count, there were 60 or something subpoenas."Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle says his investigation of DeLay's fundraising activities is continuing.Earle did not respond to a Houston Chronicle request to explain how his subpoenas — ranging from records of a bribery case...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Ronnie Earle, awaiting the media-driven frenzy of prosecuting former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, may be involved in another courtroom drama this summer. In 1996, Lacresha Murray was 11 when the Travis County district attorney indicted her on capital murder charges -- the youngest person charged with that crime in Texas. Miss Murray was a suspect in the death of a 2-year-old at her grandmother's day care center in May 1996. The toddler, Jayla Belton, lost consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital, where she died. Investigators found no forensic evidence, but on the basis of...

HOUSTON -- At least three Houston television stations have declined to air ads targeting Republican Rep. Tom DeLay, who is facing trial in Texas on charges of laundering campaign funds. Two liberal groups paid for the 30-second ads, which address alleged links between DeLay and a widespread congressional corruption probe of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The ads were to start Wednesday and run for one week. But the DeLay campaign sent letters to the stations threatening legal action, saying the spots are deliberately misleading. "The ad is reckless, malicious, and false, casting Mr. DeLay in a false light by accusing...