An outside judge is weighing whether a colleague presiding over Texas' long-running school finance trial should be removed because of perceived bias.
San Antonio-based Judge David Peeples said during a Friday hearing that he has "no business second-guessing" fellow state District Judge John Dietz's rulings and key decisions. But he will decide if Dietz can remain on the case.
Dietz has overseen the sweeping trial for 18-plus months. But Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's office wants him removed because of emails he exchanged with attorneys for school districts suing the state.
More than 600 school districts sued in 2011, arguing that the Legislature's $5.4 billion in classroom cuts violated the Texas Constitution.
Last year, Dietz found the cuts unconstitutional, though he's not yet issued a final, written ruling.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.