Will Robert Roberson testify at Texas lawmakers' hearing?

Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson is being called to testify at a state House committee hearing Friday at noon, as ordered by a new subpoena issued this week.

Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson is being called to testify at a state House committee hearing Friday at noon, as ordered by a new subpoena issued this week.

But whether the condemned man will be produced in person is unclear, after the state's attorney general's office filed a motion late Thursday allowing the prison to disregard the subpoena pending a hearing to resolve the motion. The office also resisted in October with a similar subpoena for a hearing with state lawmakers.

The new hearing requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to transport Roberson from his prison north of Houston to the state Capitol in Austin.

In a statement issued Thursday, the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton said, "In addition to presenting serious security risks, the subpoena is procedurally defective and therefore invalid as it was issued in violation of the House Rules, the Texas Constitution, and other applicable laws."

Paxton said in October that there were safety concerns with having Roberson brought before lawmakers and cited a lack of a state facility near Austin that could temporarily house him. The state had said he could testify virtually.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/will-robert-roberson-testify-texas-lawmakers-hearing-rcna184852

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