Courthouse video showed Paxton pocketing another lawyer’s $1,000 pen; he returned it after a deputy called

What happened

In 2013, attorney Joe Joplin left a tray of pens at a courthouse metal detector, including a $1,000 Montblanc. When he came back, the pen was gone. ⁰¹

Collin County Sheriff Terry Box reviewed the security video and said he recognized the man who picked up the pens as then-state Sen. Ken Paxton: “It looked like he took a pen and put it in his pocket out of the tray.” ⁰¹

A deputy called Paxton to ask about the pen. Paxton found he had it and, a day or so later, gave it to a deputy to return. Joplin did not pursue the matter. The Dallas Morning News reported the incident in November 2014, after Paxton was elected attorney general. ⁰¹

Why it matters

The incident is one piece of the long record of questions about Paxton’s conduct that predates his time as attorney general. ⁰²

What the sources show

The account comes from the sheriff, who reviewed the video. The pen was returned and no charges were filed. ⁰¹