January 27, 2015      3:45 PM
Updated: Criminal case against Rick Perry will proceed after judge declines to dismiss charges
The case could now be seriously stalled; Perry’s lead attorney says there will be an immediate appeal
The
latest on the story
was first reported by Tony Plohetski at the Austin American Statesman.
Shortly
after the news broke Tuesday afternoon, Perry’s lead attorney Tony Buzbee
said Perry “acted lawfully and properly exercised his power under the law as
Governor to protect the public safety and integrity of government. Continued
prosecution of Governor Perry is an outrage and sets a dangerous precedent in
our Democracy. America’s commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law is
at stake in this case, which is why we will immediately appeal this decision to
the Third
District Court of Appeals.”
The
group that filed the criminal complaint against Perry, Texans for Public Justice,
took issue with Perry's "high priced legal team" and national pundits
who have said the indictment is too flimsy to stand up in court. "Today a
top GOP judge again refused to dismiss the case,” said TPJ
director Craig McDonald. “The
prosecutor and a grand jury have said there's compelling evidence against
Perry. That evidence should be presented in court for all to see. The chances of that happening improved today.”
A
copy of the order from Judge Bert
Richardson is
here.
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