Texas attorney general now facing December trial date
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A new trial date of Dec. 11 is set for Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to face felony securities fraud charges.
It's the third time a trial date has been set. Paxton's case was previously scheduled to begin in April, then September. The Houston Chronicle reports that jury selection is now expected to start Dec. 1.
The case previously was moved from the conservative Dallas suburb of McKinney, where Paxton lives, to Houston after special prosecutors argued Paxton's allies had spent years tainting the original jury pool. Paxton's lawyers then successfully had the original judge replaced.
The attorney general was indicted in 2015 over allegations he duped investors in a tech startup before taking office. He's pleaded not guilty.
Paxton faces 5 to 99 years in prison, if convicted.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com