Free and clear. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has dismissed the indictments against former Gov. Perry.
Perry was indicted in 2014 on charges of abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant. The case came about from a threat to veto money for Travis County's Public Integrity Unit unless the district attorney resigned for her DWI conviction.
Perry cut the money when Rosemary Lehmberg refused to resign.
According to the court, "the governor acted and has the power to do so. The governor's power to exercise a veto may not be circumscribed by the legislature, by the courts or by district attorneys.
He became the first Texas governor in nearly 100 years to face criminal charges, which dogged his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Perry is the longest serving governor in Texas history.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in Lubbock today says the indictment of Perry was wrong and should never have been brought.
He says it's a precedent-setting case because it would have impacted every legislator.
"It's one of the reasons this year, this session, we finally moved all of these types of cases out of Travis County," Patrick said. "So now if there's any question of wrongdoing by anyone in office in the Capitol, it will come back to your county where you live to be judged by a jury your peers."
Patrick says he texted the former governor to say he's happy for him and his wife, Anita, saying a "burden has been lifted" from their shoulders.
