Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won't have to face responsibility in a lawsuit alleging he failed to counsel his clients properly, landing them in litigation for securities fraud.

The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas on Tuesday ruled that a trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing an effort to designate Paxton as a responsible third party who might dilute the defendants' liability for the plaintiff's alleged injuries.

Paxton has been under indictment since 2015, nearly his entire time as attorney general, for felony securities fraud charges. He's pleaded not guilty, and the case is still pending. This civil litigation involves two of the men who are complainants in Paxton's criminal case: Byron Curtis Cook and Joel Hochberg.