Gag Order Issued In Texas AG’s Impeachment Trial

The Texas Tribune reports:

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday issued a wide-ranging gag order ahead of the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, saying “out-of-court statements” by both sides could jeopardize the trial in the Texas Senate. The order, which went into immediate effect, cites what Patrick called “particularly egregious” statements that “pose a serious and imminent threat” to the impartiality of Paxton’s trial, which begins Sept. 5.

Violators can be found in contempt of court and punished with up to six months in a county jail and a fine of up to $500, the gag order said. The order prohibits parties — including members of the Senate and House and their staffs, witnesses and attorneys — from making statements that they “reasonably should know” will have a “substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing the trial.”

Read the full article.

JUST IN: Dan Patrick, the presiding officer for Texas AG Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial, issued a gag order against statements which could “pose a serious and imminent threat” to the trial’s integrity. https://t.co/GCp3aV6K27

— KENS 5 (@KENS5) July 17, 2023