The Texas Senate “jurors” completed their deliberation and returned to the chambers to deliver their verdict on the 16 Articles of Impeachment against suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. The verdicts will determine if the impeached attorney general will be removed from or return to his office and duties.
LIVE UPDATE:
VOTE ON ARTICLE 1: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 2: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 3: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 4: Yeas — 2 Nays — 28 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 5: Yeas — 13 Nays — 17 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 6: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 7: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 8: Yeas — 8 Nays — 22 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 9: Yeas — 12 Nays — 18 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 10: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 15: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 16: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 17: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 18: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 19: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
VOTE ON ARTICLE 20: Yeas — 14 Nays — 16 NOT GUILTY
Senator Birdwell (R-Granbury) introduced a motion to dismiss Articles 11, 12, 13, and 14. The motion passed by a vote of 19 to 11.
ORIGINAL STORY FOLLOWS:
The 30 voting senators serving as jurors in the two-week impeachment trial deliberated on Friday and Saturday morning before announcing their are ready to return to deliver their decisions. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who is the presiding officer over the trial, announced the senators would be returning to the floor at 10:30 CDT to deliver their verdicts.
On Friday, Patrick read the rules for voting. The senators will be required to vote on each of the 16 articles individually by writing their vote on a slip of paper. The clerk will draw the votes in a random order and read them aloud. Following the reading, Patrick will poll the senators individually to confirm their votes. Each senator will rise and announce “Yea” or “Nay.”
A “Yea” vote of 21 senators is required to sustain the article of impeachment. If they senators sustain the article, they will be required to make an additional vote on whether Mr. Paxton should be barred from ever holding public office in the future. A “Nay” vote will indicate an acquittal of the individual article. Only one “conviction” is required to remove the AG. The process will repeat for each of the 16 Articles of Impeachment being considered.
Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She is a trial lawyer who practices criminal defense and family law in East Texas. She was a Texas prosecutor and family court associate judge in Harris County, Texas.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.