Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has granted himself unprecedented access to the records of district attorneys in the state’s largest urban areas, many of them Democrats.
A new rule Paxton’s office posted Monday requires DAs who represent counties with populations of 400,000 ore more to file information with his office on indictments against police officers and poll workers along with details on cases where they chose not to pursue criminal charges. Additionally, DAs would be required to report communications with federal officials and nonprofit groups. Paxton’s office posted the rule as he and other right-wing Texas officials have turned up rhetoric alleging “rogue” DAs in the state’s Democrat-run urban areas are soft on crime and don’t prosecute violent offenders.
Last month, Paxton announced he’s investigating the Dallas Police Department after its chief said he wouldn’t actively seek to take part in federal immigration roundups. He’s also filed multiple lawsuits against municipalities that have decriminalized low-level cannabis offenses.
“District and County Attorneys have a duty to protect the communities they serve by upholding the law and vigorously prosecuting dangerous criminals,” Paxton said in a news release trumpeting the new rule. “In many major counties, the people responsible for safeguarding millions of Texans have instead endangered lives by refusing to prosecute criminals and allowing violent offenders to terrorize law-abiding Texans. This rule will enable citizens to hold rogue DA’s accountable.”
The rule posted Monday appears to backpedal from a rule Paxton proposed last year that would allow him to singlehandedly remove district and county attorneys from office. That rule would have included extensive reporting requirements from DAs representing counties with populations of more than 250,000.
Last April, Bexar County Commissioner’s Court approved the expenditure of $50,000 to hire a Washington D.C. legal firm to represent District Attorney Joe Gonzales, a Democrat, should that rule actually go into effect.
“Complying with the Attorney General’s proposed rules would cost local taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money,” Gonzales told TV station KSAT in a statement. “Pulling prosecutors out of courtrooms to review years-old cases in conference rooms makes no sense — especially when we are seeing tremendous success in prosecution of cases. Add to that the requirement that we send sensitive information regarding victims to a state agency who can then release the information at will and you have a recipe for disaster.
When contacted Tuesday about Paxton’s revised rule, Gonzales said his office is aware of the reporting requirement but stopped short of publicly commenting on their implications.
“Currently, we are assessing the significant impact this rule will have on our office moving forward and are in the process of determining next steps,” the DA said.
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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 1, 2025.
