Weekly News Round Up Of The State’s Top Law Enforcement Officer – Texas Attorney General

Requests and Opinions, Travis County and Texas Child Support Division Conducts Child Support Roundup


Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton is the lawyer for the State of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to:

  • defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas
  • represent the State in litigation
  • approve public bond issues

To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and agencies as provided by Texas statutes.

The Texas AG sits as an ex-officio member of state committees and commissions, and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the State.

Many Texans look to the Office of the Attorney General for guidance with disputes and legal issues. The agency receives hundreds of letters, phone calls and visits each week about crime victims’ compensation, child support, abuse in nursing homes, possible consumer fraud and other topics. To find out more about the Texas Attorney General, visit the official website at https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/.


WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP OF THE STATE’S

TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER…

THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL



AG Paxton’s Office, Travis County DA Margaret Moore Obtain 20-Year Prison Sentence in Sex Trafficking Case Involving a 14-Year-Old Victim

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office today assisted the Travis County District Attorney’s Office in securing  a prison sentence for a woman charged with the sex trafficking of a 14-year-old girl. Today, Judge Tamara Needles sentenced Kirsten Violette to 20 years in prison.

In July, Violette pleaded guilty to trafficking of persons under the age of 18 for prostitution. Her co-defendant, Kedrick Nelms, was sentenced by the Judge to a 40-year prison term for trafficking and compelling the prostitution of a minor after a jury convicted him of the offense in June.

Attorney General Paxton’s Human Trafficking and Transnational/Organized Crime section, led by Deputy Criminal Chief Kirsta Melton and Assistant Attorney General Melissa Holman, assisted the prosecutions of Violette and Nelms at the invitation of Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore. The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecutions of the cases.

“The prison sentences in these cases reflect our determination to rescue victims of human trafficking and prosecute those who commit these horrible crimes,” Attorney General Paxton said. “I’m grateful to the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for their diligence and hard work on this collaborative effort. My office will continue to go after traffickers so that we can end the exploitation of human beings.”

Nelms used a social media app called “Tagged” to lure his underage victim into a relationship, then introduced her to his girlfriend, Violette, who conspired with Nelms to traffick the 14-year old  for prostitution in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio in June 2016.

“Kirsten Violette played an essential role in the trafficking of a 14- year old child from Dallas, Texas to Travis County. While in a hotel in Austin, Violette posted ads for prostitution for the 14- year old, threatened and forced the teen to engage in prostitution,” said Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore. “The District Attorney recognizes the egregiousness of Violette’s crimes and is committed to the prosecution of all criminals engaging in the trafficking of our children. The joint prosecution with the Office of the Attorney General has resulted in the successful prosecution of both Violette and her fellow traffickers. We look forward to a continued cooperation with their efforts to prosecute these terrible crimes.”

Attorney General Paxton has made combating human trafficking a top priority. Two years ago, he launched his office’s Human Trafficking and Transnational/Organized Crime section, which prosecutes human traffickers across the state.

In April, the section’s prosecution of Backpage.com resulted in the company pleading guilty to human trafficking in Texas and its CEO, Carl Ferrer, pleading guilty to money laundering.

The Attorney General’s office also assisted the U.S. Department of Justice with permanently shutting down the website, which was considered the largest online sex trafficking marketplace in the world.

In January, Attorney General Paxton unveiled a powerful training video to teach Texans how to spot and report suspected human trafficking activity. “Be the One in the Fight Against Human Trafficking” is available for viewing online at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/human-trafficking.



Texas AG Office’s Veterans Honored During Special Ceremony

AUSTIN – Military veterans employed by Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office were honored yesterday during a special ceremony held in the rotunda of the William B. Clements Building ahead of the national observance of Veterans Day this Sunday.

The attorney general’s office employs 291 veterans from all branches of the U.S. military, along with surviving spouses and orphans of veterans. According to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, there are more than 21 million veterans in the U.S., including nearly 1.7 million in Texas.

“Today we honor the military heroes in our office for their dedicated service to the people of Texas and to our great nation,” said First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer. “To all veterans, we owe you our thanks, we owe you our respect, and we owe you our freedom.”

Floyd McLendon, Jr., an ex-U.S. Navy SEAL who serves as an executive assistant and travel aide to Attorney General Paxton, provided the keynote speech at yesterday’s event. Over a 25-year career in the Navy, McLendon deployed five times with presence in 24 countries spanning five continents.

Attorney General Paxton has made hiring veterans among his top priorities. Currently, veterans comprise more than seven percent of the office’s total workforce. In state fiscal year 2018, more than 10 percent of hires by the attorney general’s office were veterans.



AG Paxton Announces Senior Staff Promotions

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced several promotions on his senior staff, naming Darren McCarty as deputy attorney general for civil litigation and Amanda Cochran-McCall as division chief of general litigation.

“Darren and Amanda are both highly respected attorneys who have proven themselves as leaders in my office and will distinguish themselves in their important new roles,” Attorney General Paxton said. “These senior staff promotions, reflecting the individuals’ hard work, extensive experience and wise counsel, will enhance my office’s efforts representing Texas and upholding the rule of law.”

McCarty joined the attorney general’s office in 2017 as special counsel. He has led the defense of Texas in some of its most difficult trials, including Senate Bill 4, the law banning sanctuary cities. McCarty fills a role vacated by Jim Davis, who is leaving to become vice president for legal affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Previously, McCarty was a partner at Alston & Bird LLP and an associate with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Karen J. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. McCarty earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UT-Austin and a law degree from The College of William and Mary.

Prior to her new leadership role, Cochran-McCall served as associate deputy attorney general for civil litigation and deputy chief of the general litigation division. She worked in a prominent Austin law firm after starting her career in the attorney general’s office in 2008 as a law clerk and assistant attorney general. Among her many contributions to Texas, Cochran-McCall has been a key member of Attorney General Paxton’s executive team and a leader on many trial teams working on the state’s most significant legal matters. She earned a bachelor’s in journalism from UT-Austin and received a law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

In addition to the two promotions, Attorney General Paxton announced that he rehired Rudy Montoya in his former capacity as Chief Information Officer. Montoya retired earlier this year after spending his entire career in the attorney general’s office, starting in 1998 as an intern. He was named Texas Public Sector Chief Information Officer of the Year by the Texas CIO Academy in 2016. 



 

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