Updated
Updated · KWTX · Jun 18
Talarico Presses Paxton to Release Hoffman Plea Files After 29-Day Jail Term
Updated
Updated · KWTX · Jun 18

Talarico Presses Paxton to Release Hoffman Plea Files After 29-Day Jail Term

3 articles · Updated · KWTX · Jun 18

Summary

  • Waco Democrat James Talarico demanded Ken Paxton immediately release texts, emails and internal memos tied to Adam Hoffman’s plea deal, calling it a cover-up of crimes against children.
  • Hoffman, a former Waco lawyer, pleaded guilty in April to reduced misdemeanor charges after his first-degree continuous sexual abuse case ended in a mistrial, and he left jail May 25 after serving 29 days with credit.
  • Paxton’s office said it was ready to retry the case but chose the plea because the child victim would not voluntarily testify again and subpoenaing him would force him to re-face his abuser.
  • The dispute has become a line of attack in Texas’s Senate race, with Talarico using the McLennan County case to target Paxton, his Republican rival.

Insights

Why did a plea deal meant to protect a child not require mandatory sex offender registration?
What does it reveal when a judge must intervene to increase a sentence proposed by state prosecutors?