Tricky Ricky Perry is officially in the legal gunsights

Time to stop looking a bit less smug, Tricky Ricky. Besides,
at The Response, your prayer for rain didn't work either.
Patrick Michaels/Texas Observer

A Travis County grand jury has officially convened to decide whether he should be indicted for one of several possible legal charges, on the matter of vetoing money for the state's Public Integrity Unit because Travis DA Rosemary Lehmberg refused to step down after her dumb DWI.

Yeah, between AG Greg Abbott protecting the consumer by carefully overseeing state Sen. Ken Paxton and watching the medical-related spending of CPRIT, not spending on the PIU was guaranteed to insure public integrity, Gov. Helmethair.

Meanwhile, we wait to see just how seriously special prosecutor Michael McCrum takes all of this. Depending on his instructions to and information for grand jurors, Perry could face serious felony indictments. How serious?

Those charges he could face, per the Texas Observer, include coercion of a public servant, bribery, and abuse of official capacity.

Given the amount of money involved with the veto, abuse of official capacity would be a first-degree felony, if the value of the veto is calculated in cash budget $$ since, at $8 million, it's much higher than $200K. On the other two, in the same area of law code, bribery is a felony 2 and coercion is a felony 3.

And, what about you, dear readers? Will Perry face any felony-level charges? Vote in the poll at right.

As for time frame? My guess is that the grand jury takes all of next week and part of the week after that. Just to be thorough, and, if they think something was legally amiss, to debate the exact nature of the charges.

Right now, even though Tricky Ricky has lots of ’splaining to do, he clearly doesn't want to do any.

And, this grand jury is in Travis County, not Brazos County, home of college cheerleaders with sprayed-on hair. Nor is it in Haskell County, where Perry did not go in the early 2000s to secretly divorce his wife, Anita, because he secretly did not have a gay lover.

It's in Travis County. Texas liberaldom. (Though El Paso County votes just as Democratic and may be more liberal in an old New Deal way.)

And, if he is indicted, that trial will also be in Travis County.

This also raises a federal constitutional convention. Under Article II, about the presidency, Section 4 says:

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

What if you're a felon before you run?

That said, I do miss Ronnie Earle. Too bad he didn't make the 2010 rumor come true and run for guv himself.  Too bad he didn't have a better successor than Lehmberg.