Bob Perkins
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Bob Perkins is a judge who sits on the Travis County District Court in Austin, Texas. In November of 2005, he was assigned to preside over the Tom DeLay money-laundering case. DeLay's attorneys objected, noting that Perkins was a member of the Democratic Party, and had contributed to the liberal group MoveOn.org which Delay's lawyers allege sold anti-DeLay t-shirts. MoveOn.org denies the sale of the t-shirts and has issued a statement saying so. Perkins denied ever seeing the alleged t-shirts but confirmed that he contributed to the campaign of Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry.
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle attempted to keep Perkins as the presiding judge over the prosecution of Tom DeLay. DeLay's lawyers were successful in arguing the judge could not be perceived in public as impartial under the circumstances of Perkin's donations. Earle's prosecutor countered that there was no reason to replace him since judges should automatically be viewed as impartial. Perkins had once voluntarily recused himself in Earle's earlier losing prosecution of Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The matter was heard by retired judge C.W. "Bud" Duncan brought back specifically to hear the motion. [1]
Upon Perkins' removal, judge Pat Priest (also a Democrat) was selected by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson (a Republican) to preside over the case.
