Texas attorney general Paxton pleads not guilty to fraud

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will appear in court on Thursday morning for the first time since he was indicted on three felony charges.

Paxton on Thursday is to appear before a judge in Fort Worth.

Calls for the resignation of Paxton, basically the state’s chief civil attorney, are premature before he faces trial in Collin County in connection with two felony fraud charges over a 2011 stock deal and also over a 2012 securities law violation.

His attorney said he had submitted written requests to plead not guilty. Kendall didn’t go into detail about why he was leaving the case, telling the judge only that there were “issues” that would complicate his continued involvement.

Ken Paxton, second left, arrives at the Tarrant… The judge gave him until September 3.

NBC 5 reporters Scott Gordon, Julie Fine and Ellen Bryan are all reporting from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s arraignment hearing in Fort Worth.

Paxton turned himself in earlier this month and was released after a booking photo.

Paxton took office in January.

Top Democrats are calling on Paxton to resign, and top Republicans are not rallying to his defense, like they supported former Gov. Rick Perry when he was indicted last summer.