AUSTIN, Texas — Austin-based real estate developer Nate Paul may not have to spend 10 days in jail after all.
Last week, KVUE's media partners at the Austin American-Statesman reported that the Texas Supreme Court had ruled 5-4 to lift the pause on Travis County State District Judge Jan Soifer's ruling sentencing Paul to 10 days in jail on criminal contempt charges.
Paul, a close associate of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was originally sentenced in March 2023 after he was accused of defrauding a nonprofit organization.
In his appeal, Paul argued that the dispute over financial records and reporting during his relationship with the foundation improperly transitioned from a civil to a criminal matter. Paul argued that the court should toss out the criminal punishment, saying there was insufficient notice of the allegations and a lack of sufficient evidence to support conviction.
On March 18, a Travis County judge ordered Paul to start his 10-day jail sentence by April 1. But on March 19, the Texas Supreme Court issued a stay in Paul's case.
Paul has been a key figure in many of the controversies surrounding Paxton and was frequently referenced in the articles of impeachment filed against the attorney general.
While Paxton was ultimately acquitted by the Texas Senate, Paul's legal woes have persisted. In June 2023, he was arrested and charged with eight federal counts alleging multiple financial crimes and was given four additional federal charges alleging wire fraud in November 2023. Paul has entered a not guilty plea to all charges.
Paul's court date on those charges is set for Nov. 6.