Perry Pleads Not Guilty
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Gov. Rick Perry's booking this week will be his last courthouse appearance for a while.
The Republican governor and possible 2016 presidential candidate has waived his right to appear at his arraignment hearing on Friday morning and entered a plea of not guilty to two felony counts: abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public official.
The charges stem from his threat to veto $7.5 million that would have gone to the anti-corruption unit at the Travis County district attorney's office. Perry wanted District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg to step down from office after her April 2013 drunken driving arrest.
Perry's attorney, David Botsford, is expected to appear at the arraignment on Perry's behalf because the governor will be out of the state on Friday, attending the New Hampshire Republican State Committee for two days of events.
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Terri Langford
Health and Human Services Editor
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