top line
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fled his home with his wife on Monday in an attempt to evade a subpoena in an abortion rights case that was due to be held in federal court on Tuesday, Texas Tribune first mentioned.
key facts
Ernesto Martin Herrera, the person who arrived to present the documents, said he was first met at the door by a woman who identified herself as Angela Paxton โ Paxton’s wife โ as the attorney general turned around and went back inside after seeing him, according to a Texas federal lawsuit.
Herrera informed the woman that he had come to deliver important legal documents, but she was told that Paxton was on the phone and in a hurry to leave somewhere.
After waiting for over an hour on the street in front of the residence, Herrera saw Paxton coming out of his garage and approached him by calling his name, after which “Paxton turned around and went back inside the house”.
Later, Paxton’s wife Angela got out of the house and started their truck while leaving the passenger door open and then “Paxton ran out of the door into the garage” and got into the truck through the open door, Herrera said in the file.
Paxton allegedly ignored Herrera’s attempts to file the subpoena, after which Herrera left the document on the ground near the truck.
Paxton’s truck left the house while the documents remained on the floor.
main critic
in the current situation on TwitterโThis is a ridiculous waste of time and the media should be ashamed,โ Paxton said. โAcross the country, conservatives have faced threats to their safety – many that have received little coverage or condemnation from the mainstream media. It is clear that the media wants to create controversy. Another relates to my work as a prosecutor, so they attack me for daring to avoid a stranger staying outside my home and for expressing concern about the safety and well-being of my family.โ
main background
The subpoena ordered Paxton to testify at a federal court hearing in a class action lawsuit brought by abortion rights groups in Texas. According to a lawsuit filed last month, the groups are seeking legal protection from threats of criminal charges โ including murder โ under Texas’ strict abortion ban to help fund out-of-state abortions for women in the state.
in-depth reading
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fled his home to avoid receiving a subpoena, according to court record (Texas Tribune)
Roof-Wide flipped: Here’s when states will start banning abortion – which they already have (Forbes)
