Appeals Court Won't Reconsider Dismissal Of Charge Against Tom Delay

Wednesday, September 26th 2007, 2:40 pm

By: News On 6

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Texas' highest criminal appeals court said Wednesday it won't reconsider its decision to dismiss a conspiracy charge against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Prosecutors had asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to rehear the case.

In June, the Republican-controlled court narrowly affirmed a lower court's dismissal of an indictment against DeLay and two associates accusing them of conspiring to violate the state election laws during 2002 Texas legislative races. The trial court judge had said the law the three were accused of violating did not come into existence until the year after that election.

The election gave the GOP a majority in the state House of Representatives, allowing Republicans to pass a congressional redistricting plan engineered by DeLay.

DeLay and two Republican consultants still face charges of money laundering and conspiracy to launder money. No trial date has been set.

DeLay stepped down as majority leader after he was indicted and resigned from his congressional seat last year.