The special prosecutor who secured the indictment against Perry has the opportunity to appeal the court’s ruling.
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The legal dispute date backs to the 2013 legislative session. Perry then got socked with a lawsuit over his veto, because of course he did. The head of the program, a district attorney charged with enforcing ethics in office, was found guilty of driving under the influence before the bill came up, and refused Perry’s calls to resign, even though Perry insisted she was unfit for her job. Lehmberg stayed, and Perry kept his promise.
Perry had vetoed the $7.5 million in financing for the unit, stating that he could not support giving money to “an office with statewide jurisdiction at a time when the person charged with ultimate responsibility of that unit has lost the public’s confidence”.
“Justice hasn’t been done here”, said Craig McDonald, director of the Texans for Public Justice.
Texas GOP Chair Tom Mechler said he wasn’t surprised by the court’s action. “I feel bad for him because he was put through this for no reason”, Buzbee stated.
The highest criminal court in Texas decided in a 6-2 ruling that courts can not restrict veto power and that prosecuting a veto “violates separations of powers”.
He was indicted by a grand jury on charges of abusing his power and coercion of a public official.
The state had urged the Court of Criminal Appeals to reinstate the charge alleging coercion of a public servant. “This pre-trial ruling ensures that prosecutors never get an opportunity to present the evidence that makes their case in an open courtroom”.
“They are forever buried now, now in the court’s ruling”.
Rick Perry was cleared of wrongdoing by the state’s highest criminal court Wednesday.
The 15-year Republican governor has repeatedly dismissed the case as a “political witch hunt”, but with the charges carrying a possible combined penalty of 109 years in prison, Perry is likely breathing a sigh of relief.
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“I think what we’re seeing here is a function of both Rick Perry’s own shortfalls in popular opinion and also the context of this year”, said Texas Christian University political scientist Jim Riddlesperger, who noted Republican primary voters this year are favoring political outsiders like Donald Trump over experienced governors such as Perry. “All the state had asked for was for the people to decide the case, and this decision takes that away”, he said.
