Despite ties to defendants, Texas Supreme Court justice didn’t recuse himself from sex abuse case

Texas Supreme Court declined to kill a high-profile sex abuse lawsuit against former Southern Baptist Convention leader Paul Pressler and his longtime law partner, Jared Woodfill .

The Texas Tribune reviewed thousands of pages of court records in lawsuits handled by Woodfill & Pressler LLP .

Records show Devine was listed as an attorney or guardian ad litem with the firm at least 28 times between 2002 and 2008 .

Devine says he had no reason to recuse himself because he had “no personal knowledge of the facts”.

Devine 's ties to Woodifll & Pressler LLP date back three decades .

Devine was listed in court filings as an attorney or guardian ad litem with the firm on more than 20 different lawsuits, sometimes with one or both of the firm’s namesakes.

Pressler, now 93 , has been accused by at least seven men of sexual abuse or misconduct.

Duane Rollins , a former member of Pressler ’s youth group in the 1980s , filed a 2004 suit against Pressler .

The 2004 suit was settled for $ 450,000 in a one-day mediation.

In 2017 , Rollins filed a new lawsuit in which he alleged that Pressler had sexually abused him for decades , beginning when Rollins was 14 and continuing through his employment at Woodfill & Pressler LLP .