Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Major Win in Harris County Case to Keep Criminals From Being Released Back into the Streets

AUSTIN, TX -- Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a significant victory in a Harris County case to put a stop to the practice of releasing criminals back into the community through relaxed bail standards instituted by an unlawful consent decree in 2019.

“The justice system must be dedicated to punishing the evildoer and protecting the innocent,” said Attorney General Paxton. “But far too often, leftist judicial activists and other liberal anti-prison organizations have worked to make Texas less safe by throwing open the prison doors and unleashing criminals back onto the streets. I will do everything in my power to reverse this disastrous policy and uphold the law.”

The 2019 consent decree, which enabled radical judges to more easily release criminals into Harris County communities, was both contrary to Texas law and endangered public safety. Liberal activists also attempted to expand the scope and reach of the initial consent decree, disregarding changes in Texas law imposing stricter bail standards for misdemeanor and felony offenses.

However, the Fifth Circuit stepped in and acknowledged that lawsuits like the one that led to the original Harris County consent decree should have never been allowed to proceed in the first place. Now, a federal judge has granted Attorney General Paxton’s motion to intervene in the lawsuit that resulted in the 2019 consent decree. He is seeking to vacate the decree and ensure that the rights of Harris County citizens will be represented in court.