Austin, Texas – Prominent attorneys Dick Degren and Rusty Harden will serve as lead prosecutors in the Texas House in the Senate impeachment trial of the suspended attorney general. Ken Paxton.
The two Houston-based defense attorneys, who were introduced at a Capitol news conference Thursday, are legends in their own right, having separately represented a host of high-profile athletes, celebrities and politicians in criminal and civil investigations.
The video above is from a previous story.
DeGuerin defended former United States House Majority Leader Tom DeLay against charges that he illegally funneled corporate donations to members of the Texas legislature in 2002. DeLay was convicted, but his conviction was overturned on appeal.
See also: What to know about Texas’ extraordinary move to impeach GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton
He also successfully defended former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison from misconduct charges, and other high-profile clients including New York real estate mogul Robert Durst during his 2003 murder trial and branch leader David Koresh during the 1993 Waco showdown.
Hardin was represented by a long list of celebrities, star athletes, and corporations, including Arthur Andersen. The accounting firm at the center of the Enron scandal was found guilty of obstruction of justice before the conviction was overturned in a unanimous ruling by the US Supreme Court. Hardin’s other clients include NFL star quarterback Deshaun Watson amid a series of sexual assault lawsuits in Harris County. legendary baseball player Wade Boggs; And the estate of Texas millionaire J. Howard Marshall is in a dispute with former model Anna Nicole Smith.
Hardin was on a short list of attorneys named “Texas Legal Legends” by the Litigation Division of the Texas State Bar, and prior to opening private practice two decades ago, he served 15 years as a district attorney in the Harris County District Attorney’s office.
In a brief news conference Thursday, Harden and Degren noted that together they have more than 100 years of legal experience and said it was an honor to represent the House in Paxton’s trial, which has not been scheduled but will occur before Aug. 28, according to a recent Senate decision.
See also: Texas Senate prosecutes AG Ken Paxton after historic impeachment trial
The two said their job was to be transparent as they laid out all allegations against Paxton so that senators, who would sit as juries, as well as members of the public could decide for themselves whether Paxton deserved to be permanently removed from office.
“The people of the state of Texas have a right to know whether or not their top cop is a fraud,” DeJorin said. “We know the importance of transparency in these procedures because people have a right to know.”
Hardin said he was “shocked” by the allegations against Paxton that were detailed in 20 articles of impeachment. “This is not about a one-time abuse of office,” he said. “This is not about misuse of office twice. It’s about a pattern of misconduct.”
“I promise you, it’s 10 times worse than it was out in the open,” he added.
This is a developing story.
Disclosure: Dick Degren and Rusty Harden were financial backers of The Texas TribuneAnd A nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial backers play no role in the Tribune press. find file List them here.
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