The impeachment trial of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton begins at 9 a.m. CDT on Tuesday. The trial is expected to last at least two to three weeks as House impeachment managers present witness testimony and more than 4,000 pages of evidence.
Paxton faces trial in the modified Senate chamber of the Texas Capitol for abuse of public trust and bribery as expressed in the 20 Articles of Impeachment passed by a vote of 121-23. The bipartisan votes for impeachment came from 60 Republican legislators and 61 Democrats. Only 23 Republican legislators voted against the impeachment. Under the Texas Constitution, Paxton was suspended immediately from his position as Attorney General of Texas.
Paxton’s lawyers are expected to move for the articles of impeachment to be dismissed under the “prior term doctrine,” claiming the alleged offenses occurred before the last election. A simple majority vote (16 senators) is required to pass the motion to dismiss. There are 18 Republican and 12 Democrat senators eligible to vote on these motions. Paxton’s wife, State Senator Angela Paxton will be present during the trial but is recused from voting or participating in deliberations or asking questions of witnesses.
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One of the first steps for Paxton’s defense team will be to “demonstrate House managers did not prove the grounds of impeachment,” Gary Polland, Houston defense attorney and former chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, told Breitbart Texas on Monday. He explained the senators “cannot worry about the political implications. They need to vote on the merits.”
If two-thirds of the state senators vote for conviction for any article of impeachment, Paxton will immediately be removed from office. The Texas House trial managers can then ask the Senate to vote on whether Paxton will be forever barred from ever holding office in the state.
Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She is a trial lawyer who served as a Texas prosecutor and family court associate judge.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
