The Texas Republican Party has condemned the felony charges against Attorney General Ken Paxton as a “sloppy process” that doesn’t befit the judicial system that Texans expect. If convicted, the rising Republican star could face five to 99 years in prison.

When marriage equality became the law of the land in late June, Paxton told county clerks that could defy the Supreme Court and withhold marriage licenses for same-sex couples.

On Monday afternoon, Ken Paxton’s attorney Joe Kendall released a statement saying Paxton will not plead guilty and will seek a trial by jury.

Paxton has not publicly commented on the charges but his defenders – and Perry’s – have portrayed pending indictments as politically motivated. However, some are already calling for him to resign, including several Democratic Party officials who were among a small group of protesters demonstrating on the courthouse steps Monday. He paid a $1,000 fine and chalked it up as an administrative oversight.

Questions about Paxton’s financial dealings shadowed the Tea Party conservative throughout his first seven months on the job.

The indictment of Paxton, elected to the attorney general’s post in November, comes nearly a year after a Travis County grand jury brought charges against Rick Perry. His aides have denied any wrongdoing by Paxton and described the criminal investigation led by two special prosecutors as a political smear campaign. Though Paxton was referring clients to his associate, he did not register with the state of Texas. The company had been under federal investigation. The former Texas governor, now seeking the 2016 Republican nomination, is still facing one felony charge of abuse of power; a second charge was dropped. Utah’s previous two attorneys generals were also arrested last summer on charges of running pay-to-play schemes during their combined 13 years in office.