HOUSTON, TX – June 16, 2025 — In a significant victory for local governance and judicial independence, a Travis County judge has temporarily blocked a controversial new rule introduced by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which would have mandated sweeping oversight of prosecutors in Texas' most populous counties. The injunction halts enforcement of the rule while legal challenges—spearheaded by Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee—move forward in court.

The legal action, filed on behalf of Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and several other counties across Texas, challenges a rule that critics have called a blatant overreach and a political weapon against locally elected prosecutors.

🔍 A Rule That Raised Alarms

Enacted in April 2025, the rule would have required prosecutors in counties with populations over 400,000 residents to submit vast amounts of data on both active and closed criminal cases. This data would be reviewed by an oversight committee controlled by the Attorney General’s Office, raising serious questions about separation of powers and the independence of local prosecution.

Perhaps most troubling, the rule threatened removal from office for any prosecutor who failed to comply—a move seen by many as an effort to intimidate and silence progressive DAs.

“This rule is nothing more than a power grab by the Attorney General,” said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. “Paxton is trying to intimidate locally elected prosecutors and use his office to score political points. We’re not going to let that happen in Harris County.”

⚖️ Defending Constitutional Checks and Balances

The lawsuit, supported by a coalition of Texas counties and DAs, argues that Paxton’s rule violates the Texas Constitution’s separation of powers clause. Prosecutors maintain that the Attorney General has no legal authority to unilaterally impose oversight on their offices—especially through a committee not accountable to voters.

The temporary injunction issued by the Travis County court prevents the rule from taking effect, with the first mandatory compliance deadline of July 1, 2025, now on hold. This gives county prosecutors much-needed breathing room as the case is fully litigated.

🛡️ A Battle for Local Justice

“This is about protecting the integrity of local prosecution and ensuring that political agendas don’t dictate how justice is served,” said Menefee. “Our communities deserve prosecutors who answer to the people—not politicians in Austin.”

As the legal battle unfolds, the outcome could have lasting implications for how justice is administered in Texas and the ability of locally elected officials to make prosecutorial decisions without interference from the state’s top law enforcement office.

Harris County’s leadership in this fight signals a broader pushback against politically motivated state-level actions that attempt to erode local autonomy—especially in large, diverse, and urban counties like Houston.