A federal judge on Monday denied a request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and four Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law judges to vacate a landmark settlement on misdemeanor bail reform in the county.

U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal's ruling preserves the 2019 ODonnell consent decree, which allows most people facing misdemeanor charges in the state's most populous county to be released from jail prior to trial without having to pay cash bail.

The consent decree settled a 2016 class action lawsuit after a federal court found Harris County's misdemeanor cash bail system exacerbated poverty while not "meaningfully" promoting public safety or ensuring court appearances.