As Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton's office won Texas's lawsuit against federal guidance that discouraged blanket bans on hiring people with criminal records, and his office prosecuted Hervis Rogers, a Houston man who voted while on parole after waiting hours in line, until a judge dismissed the case in October 2022.
Paxton also urged the Senate to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general, and her Justice Department dismissed its police-misconduct cases against Louisville and Minneapolis and, in March 2026, the remaining charges against former officers accused of falsifying the warrant used in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
Ken Paxton's Prosecutions, Lawsuits and Statements on Criminal Justice
- Paxton's Office Won Texas's Case Keeping Blanket Bans on Hiring People With Felony Records. On February 1, 2018, Ken Paxton praised a federal court ruling for Texas against the EEOC's guidance on hiring people with criminal records, saying "Texas has the sovereign right to impose categorical bans on the hiring of criminals for such jobs as state troopers, school teachers and jailers." In August 2019, the Fifth Circuit ruled that the federal government cannot limit Texas' use of criminal background checks during the hiring process for state jobs. The EEOC guidance had urged employers to eliminate policies or practices that exclude people from employment based on any criminal record. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which sided with the EEOC, says that when a background check turns up a record, the callback rate drops by half for white applicants and two-thirds for African-American candidates.
- Paxton's Office Prosecuted Hervis Rogers, a Houston Voter on Parole, Until a Judge Dismissed the Case. Ken Paxton's office brought illegal-voting charges against Hervis Rogers, a Houston man who voted while still on parole from a felony burglary conviction after waiting in line at Texas Southern University until about 1:30 a.m. in March 2020, charges that carried a possible sentence of two to 20 years in prison. Rogers said he did not know he was ineligible. A judge dismissed the case in October 2022, after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the state cannot unilaterally prosecute election fraud cases. Rogers had been out on bail since 2021; "It has been horrible to go through this," he said.
- Paxton Urged Pam Bondi's Confirmation; Her Justice Department Ended Police Oversight Cases and the Breonna Taylor Warrant Case. On December 3, 2024, Ken Paxton signed a letter of attorneys general urging the Senate to swiftly confirm Pam Bondi as the next United States Attorney General, calling her "a superb choice to serve our nation and the public interest." On May 21, 2025, Bondi's Justice Department announced it was dismissing lawsuits against the Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis, Minnesota police departments and moved to retract the Biden administration's findings of constitutional violations in other cities. In Minneapolis, the court dismissed the case with prejudice, bringing federal oversight to an end despite the city's continued support. In March 2026, DOJ moved to dismiss the remaining charges without explanation against two former Louisville officers accused of falsifying the affidavit used in the March 2020 raid in which police killed Breonna Taylor, and the court dismissed the case.
What Ken Paxton's Criminal Justice Record Means for Texans With Records
- State jobs. Texas does not allow felons to be hired for certain state jobs, and the court ruling Paxton's office won keeps the EEOC from limiting that practice in state hiring.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Paxton on Criminal justice
What is Ken Paxton's record on criminal justice under Trump?
Ken Paxton's office won Texas's case against federal guidance discouraging blanket bans on hiring people with criminal records, and it prosecuted Hervis Rogers for voting on parole until a court ruled the attorney general could not bring such cases alone. He urged Pam Bondi's confirmation, and her Justice Department ended police oversight cases in Louisville and Minneapolis and dropped the Breonna Taylor warrant charges. Those dismissals removed federal oversight that the Minneapolis city government had supported.
Why was Ken Paxton's case against Hervis Rogers dismissed?
Ken Paxton's case against Hervis Rogers was dismissed by a Montgomery County judge after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the state cannot unilaterally prosecute election fraud cases. Rogers had drawn national attention after reporters interviewed him about the long wait to vote.
Does Ken Paxton support banning people with felony records from state jobs?
Yes. Ken Paxton said Texas has the sovereign right to impose categorical bans on the hiring of criminals for jobs such as state troopers, school teachers and jailers, and that "Requiring Texas to issue badges and guns to felons is bad policy and unlawful."
Last updated: 2026-10-25