Post by pavel on Jan 11, 2016 17:23:20 GMT -6
Collin County commissioners agree to pay special prosecutor fees in Paxton criminal case
The special prosecutors handling the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will be paid for their work so far at the rate they were promised.
Commissioners voted 3-2 on Monday to pay the more than $254,000 in legal fees and expenses that have accumulated since April. Commissioners Chris Hill and Susan Fletcher both voted against making the payments.
The vote comes after the commission received an order from the judge presiding over the case. District Judge George Gallagher approved the $300 per hour rate for the three attorneys appointed to the case and issued an order last week that the county pay their bills submitted so far.
The fees have come under scrutiny because they far exceed the $100,000 that the county budgeted for the case. They also exceed the amounts set out in Collin County’s rules, which call for a flat $1,000 fee plus $1,000 a day during trial for lawyers appointed in first-degree felony cases. The county’s rules also state that appointed attorneys will be paid only after the case has concluded.
Read more: thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/collin-county-commissioners-agree-to-pay-special-prosecutor-fees-in-paxton-criminal-case.html/
The special prosecutors handling the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will be paid for their work so far at the rate they were promised.
Commissioners voted 3-2 on Monday to pay the more than $254,000 in legal fees and expenses that have accumulated since April. Commissioners Chris Hill and Susan Fletcher both voted against making the payments.
The vote comes after the commission received an order from the judge presiding over the case. District Judge George Gallagher approved the $300 per hour rate for the three attorneys appointed to the case and issued an order last week that the county pay their bills submitted so far.
The fees have come under scrutiny because they far exceed the $100,000 that the county budgeted for the case. They also exceed the amounts set out in Collin County’s rules, which call for a flat $1,000 fee plus $1,000 a day during trial for lawyers appointed in first-degree felony cases. The county’s rules also state that appointed attorneys will be paid only after the case has concluded.
Read more: thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/collin-county-commissioners-agree-to-pay-special-prosecutor-fees-in-paxton-criminal-case.html/