After being denied a review of his 2015 misdemeanor conviction by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Democratic State Rep. Ron Reynolds (Missouri City) will likely serve a one-year jail sentence for illegal solicitation of legal services.
The sentence stems from a scheme in which chiropractic firms would persuade patients to unwittingly sign contracts rendering Reynolds their legal counsel without either his presence or even a physical examination. He was found guilty of 5 misdemeanor charges in 2015, after which he appealed his conviction to the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Reynolds is not the only Democrat state legislator who could soon face time in jail. In February, Democratic State Sen. Carlos Uresti (San Antonio) was found guilty on 11 felony charges involving fraud in his business dealings. While sentencing has yet to take place, Uresti faces what could amount to decades in federal prison for his crimes.
Although Reynolds will likely serve jail time, he is not required under Texas law to resign his Texas House seat, as the Texas Election Code only requires resignations in the case of felony convictions. Reynolds won his Democratic primary election in March with over 60% of the vote and faces no Republican opposition in November.
