DeLay gets a friendly ruling from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Travis County DA Ronnie Earle is currently appealing a lower court ruling that threw out one of the counts he brought against REp. Tom DeLay (R-TX). But however the appeal is decided, the delay itself threatens to push the actual trial date well into 2006 and probably past the point of no return for the former Majority Leader.

In response, DeLay filed a speedy trial motion before the Court of Criminal Appeals. And today the Court, which Roll Call's John Bresnahan reports (sub.req.) is made up of nine Republican judges, gave Earle a week to file a brief in response to DeLay's request.

According to Bresnahan the Court "could either throw out the charges entirely or order an immediate trial for DeLay in the money-laundering case."