A judge struck down Paxton’s rules that would have let him push big-county district attorneys out of office

What happened

In 2025, Paxton issued rules covering counties with more than 400,000 people that required district and county attorneys to report case data to his office and allowed removal from office for noncompliance. ⁰¹

Nine district and county attorneys sued. A Travis County judge blocked the rules in June 2025, ⁰² and on Dec. 30, 2025, the all-Republican 15th Court of Appeals unanimously upheld that block, finding the Legislature never gave the attorney general rulemaking power. ⁰³ On May 7, 2026, Travis County District Judge Catherine Mauzy ruled the rules invalid. ⁰¹

Paxton appealed. On Oct. 1, 2026, the 15th Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment, holding that the law gives the attorney general no authority to issue the rules and permanently barring him from enforcing them against the prosecutors who sued. Dallas County said the case had cost it more than $227,000 and is seeking reimbursement. ⁰⁴

Why it matters

The rules would have given the attorney general leverage over locally elected prosecutors in the state’s biggest counties. A court found he had no power to impose them. ⁰¹

What the sources show

The rulings are court decisions. Paxton can still ask the Texas Supreme Court to review the October ruling. ^{01 04}