Texas attorney general's criminal trial delayed again

HOUSTON (AP) - A judge has again delayed when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will stand trial on securities fraud charges.

State District Judge Robert Johnson on Wednesday postponed the trial until 2018 after prosecutors requested a delay. Paxton's trial was scheduled to start in December, more than two years after being indicted on charges of misleading investors in a tech startup.

The Republican has pleaded not guilty. Similar federal charges were dropped earlier this year.

A new trial date wasn't set. But the Houston Chronicle reports that Paxton could now wind up on trial in the midst of his first re-election campaign. Texas' primary elections are March 6.

Prosecutors sought a delay partly because they haven't been paid amid a dispute over their fees. They're asking another court to reinstate their pay.