A Texas appeals court sided with Dallas County’s district attorney, saying that requiring prosecutors to report certain information to the state’s attorney general is invalid and prohibited.
The Texas Fifteenth Court of Appeals on Oct. 1 affirmed a Travis County district court’s judgment, which said that according to state statute, the attorney general does not have authority and cannot create a rule to impose reporting requirements.
“Nine months ago, we issued an opinion concluding the Attorney General lacked rule-making authority … and in part affirmed a temporary injunction barring enforcement of the rules…” the Appeals Court opinion stated. “We now affirm the trial court’s final summary judgment granting declaratory and injunctive relief.”
Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot and DAs from other counties last year sued Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office for requiring report submissions that prove local attorneys are prosecuting violent criminals.
Paxton initiated the new rule in March 2025 “to rein in rogue district attorneys” from counties with more than 400,000 residents.
Similar to an employee performance review, it required county DA offices to submit detailed reports and give the state AG’s office access to certain case files.
The rule targeted mostly-Democrat counties, including Dallas, Bexar, El Paso, Harris and Travis.
Creuzot issued a statement saying that his office will continue to “stand up for the law, the responsibilities of this office and the people we serve.”
“This is another important victory for the rule of law and for the independence of locally elected prosecutors,” the statement said. “At every turn, the courts have repeatedly affirmed what we argued from the beginning: the Attorney General does not have the authority to create these sweeping reporting requirements.”
The lawsuit has cost Dallas County more than $227,000, for which the county is seeking reimbursement from the Attorney General, according to the district attorney’s office.
Paxton can ask the Texas Supreme Court to review the case and issue an opinion.
Attorney General office representatives had not replied to a request for comment by deadline.
Got a tip? Email Marina Trahan Martinez at mmartinez@kera.org. You can follow Marina at @HisGirlHildy.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Copyright 2026 KERA News