Texas AG Ken Paxton defends one-day plea deal for child molestation case

At a forum in Fort Worth, Texas Attorney General and Senate hopeful Ken Paxton addressed criticism over a plea agreement that would have limited a child-sex predator to a single day in jail. The deal, offered to Adam Hoffman, who admitted to repeatedly molesting a young boy, also omitted the requirement to register as a sex offender. Judge Roy Sparkman found the proposal unacceptable and imposed a 60-day sentence, of which Hoffman served only 30 days before being released.

Paxton said his office could not control the judge’s decision but maintained the effort was the best possible outcome. The controversy has drawn fire from Democratic candidates such as Sara McGee, who called the arrangement a corrupt failure, and comes as Paxton prepares for a tightly contested midterm Senate race against James Talarico.