News for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Perry Appears In Court For Heated Pretrial Hearing

Christopher Halloran
/
Shutterstock
Indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry, pictured earlier, has made his first court appearance on felony abuse of power charges, sitting largely stoically through heated arguments from lawyers.

Indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry has made his first court appearance on felony abuse of power charges, sitting largely stoically through heated arguments from lawyers.

Perry's defense team cited the Constitution repeatedly Thursday in arguing that the case should be quashed on technicalities.

The Republican governor's head lawyer, Tony Buzbee, sometimes glared at Michael McCrum, the special prosecutor. Perry watched with little emotion, occasionally looking down at a table.

McCrum answered: "Mr. Perry, through his attorneys, can't create or invent Texas law that's not there."

An Austin grand jury indicted Perry in August. The charges stem from a veto threat to nix state funding for public corruption prosecutors.

Perry is eying a 2016 White House run. Asked afterward if this could mar that, he replied he was "good at multitasking."