HOUSTON, Texas — Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was found not guilty today by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. This is the highest appellate court in Texas for criminal cases and thus brings DeLay’s political persecution to an end.
The court upheld the ruling last year from the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals. That decision tossed out the convictions on money laundering and conspiracy charges. At that time Justice Melissa Goodwin wrote “The fundamental problem with the state’s case was its failure to prove proceeds of criminal activity,” according to a September 19th report on Breitbart News.
In a phone conversation with Breitbart Texas, Tom DeLay said, “I am elated that I can now get on with my life. After nine long years I am finally free. I give all the credit for this verdict to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my attorney Brian Wice.”
DeLay said they thought the decision might be posted by the court today and he was on the phone with his attorney when the decision was posted. “We were elated and joyful when we heard the news even though it has been nine long years.”
DeLay said he has not felt the burden of this ordeal because of his faith. “I don’t know how someone could go through this without Christ,” he said.
On June 18th, Breitbart Texas legal analyst Lana Shadwick reported the Travis County District Attorney’s Office was appealing the 3rd Court of Appeals decision to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
“The Delay case should never have survived a motion for directed verdict.” Shadwick said today in reference to the Court’s ruling. “The trial court judge should have never submitted the case to the jury. Any time the appellate court, as it did here, finds as a matter of law that there is insufficient evidence to sustain the verdict, there was no evidence for the jury to decide under the law.” Shadwick has served the State of Texas as a judge, a prosecutor and an appellate prosecutor.
“Tom and I are gratified and elated but not surprised by our overwhelming victory today in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals,” DeLay’s attorney, Brian Wice said in a phone conversation with Breitbart Texas. “The Court concluded that the rule of law matters more in the end than a partisan prosecution’s attempts to criminalize our system of politics.”
“Almost nine years to the day that the prosecutors from the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County DA’s Office — bullies in blue suits — indicted Tom DeLay,” Wice said, in a post on Facebook “former House Majority Leader for conduct that did not come within a time zone of violating the law, the Court of Criminal Appeals concluded by a vote of 8-1 that Tom was NOT GUILTY of money laundering and conspiracy. I’m thrilled for Tom, his family, his friends and the legal team — Adele Hedges, Dick DeGuerin and Carmen Roe — that helped make it happen. But most of all, I’m thrilled that in the end, the rule of law mattered more than the unconscionable partisan persecution that finally came to an end today.”
Breitbart Texas interviewed DeLay on September 3rd about the criminalization of the our political system and the historical abuse of power of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office that is now attempting to persecute Texas Governor Rick Perry. In regards to the case against Perry, DeLay said Perry’s indictment is “a political move that has larger implications and ramifications. I am sure she’s working with Democrats on the outside to set Rick Perry up for failure.”
DeLay said the people of Texas do not understand the ramification of the power of this particular office. “Unfortunately, other than Breitbart, the media in Texas is super liberal. They’re not telling the right side of the story.” He said Perry should use the power of his office to tell the story and educate the people. He said Perry must not shirk from playing this out before the public so that the voters will see what is really going on.”
“When he (Perry) came out and demanded that (Travis County DA) Rosemary Lehmberg, because of her DUI, resign her office, right then, she put a target on him. Then when he vetoed money to her office, I’m sure she took it personally and she’s going to use everything she can to go after him.”
“It’s very well known in Texas,” he explained, “that (former Travis County DA) Ronnie Earl abused his office and now Rosemary Lehmberg, his right-hand woman, has abused it too.”
Bob Price is a staff writer and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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