Texas Court Clears Ex-Gov. Rick Perry of 2nd Felony Charge

[clearvision]

ABC News:

Texas' highest criminal court tossed the second and final felony charge against former Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday, likely ending a case the Republican says helped sink his short-lived 2016 presidential bid.

 

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the abuse-of-power charge, which was filed after Perry threatened — and then carried out — a veto of state funding for a group of public corruption prosecutors after the Democratic head of the unit refused to resign.

 

In its 6-2 ruling, the court said veto power can't be restricted by the courts and the prosecution of a veto "violates separations of powers." A lower appeals court had dismissed the other charge, coercion by a public servant, in July.

 

Perry is pleased that the charges have been finally thrown out, said his attorney Tony Buzbee, who called it a "shame that it took that long to get something as weak and misguided as this to be dismissed."

 

------------------

No surprise, but took long enough. Maybe he should jump back in the race now?

[Draggingtree]

:

Texas' highest criminal court tossed the second and final felony charge against former Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday, likely ending a case the Republican says helped sink his short-lived 2016 presidential bid.

 

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the abuse-of-power charge, which was filed after Perry threatened — and then carried out — a veto of state funding for a group of public corruption prosecutors after the Democratic head of the unit refused to resign.

 

In its 6-2 ruling, the court said veto power can't be restricted by the courts and the prosecution of a veto "violates separations of powers." A lower appeals court had dismissed the other charge, coercion by a public servant, in July.

 

Perry is pleased that the charges have been finally thrown out, said his attorney Tony Buzbee, who called it a "shame that it took that long to get something as weak and misguided as this to be dismissed."

 

------------------

No surprise, but took long enough. Maybe he should jump back in the race now?

 

I wish but afraid it's way way late

[Draggingtree]

Breaking: Texas Appeals Court Dismisses Indictment Against Rick Perry

Posted by Sarah Rumpf February 24, 2016 at 10:41am

Vindication is bittersweet, coming too late to help his presidential campaign

Wednesday morning, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, dismissed the remaining charge against former Gov. Rick Perry.

Perry had been indicted in 2014 by a Travis County grand jury for abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant, stemming from his threat and then veto of funding for the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. Perry had said he was vetoing the funds after then-Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, was arrested for drunken driving and caught on video being abusive and disrespectful to the law enforcement officers. http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/02/breaking-texas-appeals-court-dismisses-indictment-against-rick-perry/

[Geee]

Townhall:

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry scored a tremendous legal victory today. The state’s highest criminal court dismissed the final charge against him, which was part of a ludicrous abuse of power case. The legal fiasco erupted in August of 2014, when a grand jury indicted Perry on coercing a public servant and abuse in office for vetoing funds to a local Public Integrity Unit in Travis County since their district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, refused to resign after a drunk driving arrest. The New York Times described the charges as “overzealous.”

 

In July of 2015, the coercion of a public servant charge was dropped by an appeals court, but the abuse in office portion of the indictment was allowed to move forward until this morning. Yet, the former governor noted that the political damage was done, especially during his short-lived presidential bid (Dallas Morning News):

Texas’ highest criminal court on Wednesday dismissed the remaining felony charge against former Gov. Rick Perry in the abuse-of-power case that he blamed for his early exit from the Republican presidential race.