Skip to main content
Ken Paxton Impeachment

After setback, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick names another judge to help with Ken Paxton impeachment trial

Patrick’s previous appointment — Marc Brown, a former state appeals court judge in Harris County — declined the role after the Tribune inquired about a political donation he made.

Republish
Lana Myers.
Credit: Social media

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday named Lana Myers, a former state appeals court judge in North Texas, as his counsel for the upcoming impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton.

It was Patrick’s second effort at selecting a legal adviser for the trial after his first pick, Marc Brown, backed out amid questions about his impartiality.

Myers was a Republican justice on the Dallas-based Fifth Court of Appeals from 2009-2022. She previously was a Dallas County district court judge and assistant district attorney for the county.

Paxton’s trial is set to start Sept. 5.

“Justice Myers is an extremely well-qualified candidate with courtroom experience as an attorney and a judge,” Patrick said in a statement.

Patrick’s previous appointment — Brown, a former state appeals court judge in Harris County — backed out of the role a day after he was announced earlier this month. After The Texas Tribune asked Patrick about a $250 donation that Brown gave to one of Paxton’s primary challengers in 2021, Patrick announced that Brown was declining the position, citing the donation.

Myers’ political donation history appears to be less conflicted. Records with the Texas Ethics Commission show she has mostly given to GOP groups in North Texas, like the Grayson County GOP and the Golden Corridor Republican Women's Club. She also contributed to former Gov. Rick Perry in 2010.

Perry appointed Myers to the Fifth Court of Appeals in 2009. She did not seek reelection in 2022.

The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and what’s ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program.

Wait! We need your help.

More than 2 million people read Texas Tribune articles every month, but only 12,000 of those readers also donate to support the news they count on. Not even 1% of readers! If you are one of the 99% of Texas Tribune readers who hasn’t made a donation before in support of independent Texas news, you can change that today. A small donation makes a big impact.

Our Spring Member Drive is an important time to help our newsroom plan for what resources will be available for them to tackle longer investigations and bigger projects later this year. Texas Tribune journalists need the support of readers to write the articles, take the photographs and create the data visualizations that impact Texans and Texas policy.

We have a goal to have 500 readers become Texas Tribune members during our Spring Member Drive. As the Tribune member community grows, the journalism you read here is better protected. Will you make a donation today to show your support of independent Texas news?

DONATE NOW

Information about the authors

Patrick Svitek’s staff photo

Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Explore related story topics

Politics Ken Paxton Texas Senate