Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state leader Dustin Burrows announced a push to increase transparency and accountability for local prosecutors they describe as “rogue” for refusing to enforce state law, according to reporting by Bethany Blankley at The Center Square.
Proposed fix: a statewide prosecutor and new oversight
The Center Square reports Abbott has proposed creating a new office of a statewide prosecutor ahead of legislative hearings set for this month. Abbott, Burrows and Patrick said they will seek legislation next year to provide greater state oversight of local prosecutors, citing what they called a pattern of certain offices releasing repeat offenders and endangering the public.
“Texans come first,” Abbott said. “Prosecutors must enforce Texas law and keep violent criminals behind bars. When murder charges are dropped and repeat offenders walk free, innocent Texans pay the price. Texas will hold rogue prosecutors accountable and deliver justice for victims.”
Burrows said, “For far too long, Texans have been left at the mercy of certain local prosecutors’ soft-on-crime policies. When murderers are let off the hook, released on bail through catch-and-release policies, or even have their charges dismissed, public safety is compromised.” He added that a House committee he formed will work on bipartisan reforms to strengthen public safety and ensure ideology does not supersede law and order, The Center Square reported. Patrick said the Texas Senate will also “take strong action against these rogue prosecutors,” according to the outlet.
Travis County DA singled out by critics
The leaders pointed to Travis County District Attorney José Garza as an example of what they call a “rogue prosecutor,” citing instances of dismissed murder charges, refusals to prosecute violent criminals, and repeat offenders released with no bond, The Center Square reported. These are the leaders’ allegations; they were not independently verified in the article.
Rural complaints and a constitutional bottleneck
The Center Square previously reported that residents in rural counties complain their local prosecutors are not pursuing a range of cases—including alleged voter fraud—and are dismissing large numbers of cases. They raised the question: “What happens when a local district attorney won’t investigate or prosecute cases?”
According to The Center Square, residents also argue there is little transparency about prosecutions and dismissals, no statutory deadline for district attorneys to recuse from cases (which they say delays Office of the Attorney General involvement), and no district attorney term limits. The outlet reported that, under the Texas Constitution, the Attorney General is part of the executive branch and may not prosecute county crimes unless the local district attorney requests it or recuses.
What’s next
Earlier this year, Burrows established the Texas House Governmental Oversight Select Committee, which The Center Square reports will meet Sept. 30 to take testimony on these issues. Burrows said the committee’s work will be a top priority for the Texas House next session, per the outlet.
Border-county voices call for investigations
Former Zapata County Sheriff Raymundo Del Bosque and other Democrats asked the Republican-led Legislature and the Trump administration’s Department of Justice to investigate what they described as a systemic pattern of voter fraud in rural border counties, The Center Square reported. “Don’t dismiss these concerns because we’re a small county on the border,” Del Bosque said. “Zapata County needs help. Please don’t ignore Zapata County.”
Democrat Martha Moralas, who ran for Zapata County judge, told The Center Square, “I am a Democrat asking a Republican president [and state Legislature] for help because I refuse to believe that justice has a party. My vote is not supposed to be bought, harvested, manipulated, or silenced, and neither is my right to have the truth heard in court.”
