Pat Priest (judge)

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This article deals with the Texas judge; for the Munsters actress, see Patricia Ann Priest.

Pat Priest (born 1940) is a retired Texas state court judge from San Antonio, most notable for having been appointed to preside over the criminal trial of Congressman Tom DeLay on money laundering and conspiracy charges brought by Ronnie Earle. Priest was appointed to the case by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.

As of June, 2006, Priest had dismissed one count of the indictment, which alleged conspiracy to violate election law. However, Priest denied DeLay's motion to dismiss the more serious charges of money laundering and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, and the prosecution is proceeding on those charges.

Priest, who attended law school at St. Mary's University in the 1960s, is also the author of a Criminal procedure casebook - Texas courtroom criminal evidence, 1998, ISBN 1-55834-530-2.