HOUSTON — The judge presiding over Attorney General Ken Paxton's criminal cases did not set a trial date Thursday, instead asking the parties to meet again in about a month for more discussion.

At a hearing in Houston, Harris County Criminal District Court Judge Robert Johnson asked Paxton's attorneys and the prosecutors to return July 27. He could set the trial date then or further delay the decision.

Johnson, who was elected to the bench last year, took over Paxton's cases this month after the previous judge was removed at Paxton's request. The cases were then moved to Harris County, a win for the prosecutors who argued a jury chosen from Collin County — where the indictments were issued — would be biased in Paxton's favor.

At the Thursday hearing, the three special prosecutors picked to pursue the charges against Paxton asked Johnson to put the entire case on hold until a Dallas court makes a decision in a separate lawsuit over their pay.

Collin County taxpayers are on the hook to pay the prosecutors' bills, but county commissioners have refused to do so, claiming they are being paid too much. The commissioners have sued the prosecutors in the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas, which will issue a ruling in that case sometime after July 19.

Paxton's attorneys disagreed that a delay was necessary. Putting the case on hold would violate their client's right to a speedy trial, they said.

"Whether they get their money is not our problem," said Dan Cogdell, one of Paxton's attorneys. Philip Hilder, another of his lawyers, added, "It's possible that these prosecutors are never going to get paid."

Prosecutor Brian Wice said they want to keep the playing field even, calling the commissioners' decision to block their pay "an unprecedented attempt to defund and derail this prosecution."

At one point, prosecutor Kent Schaffer interrupted Cogdell while he was addressing the judge, prompting an angry response from the Paxton lawyer.

"I didn't interrupt you, kindly don't interrupt me," Cogdell said, to which Johnson cautioned, "Attorneys, please."

Johnson said Thursday that delaying the choice of a trial date will allow him to get caught up on the complex case before making any major decisions. He did not side with either Paxton's attorneys or the prosecutors over the pay issue and did not indicate whether he would set a trial date on July 27.

Wice, one of three special prosecutors on Paxton's case, is sporting his Texas Rangers boots today. More: https://t.co/pgkzPpSWcK #txlege https://t.co/cL0ASUjowO — Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) June 29, 2017

It's been almost two years since Paxton, then just six months into his tenure as attorney general, was indicted by a Collin County grand jury. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, arguing the allegations are part of a witch hunt perpetrated by his political enemies.

Earlier this year, he successfully beat related civil fraud charges lobbed against him by the federal government. The decision did not affect his state criminal case, which has spurred multiple related lawsuits including the fight over the prosecutors paychecks.

Paxton faces two first-degree felony charges for allegedly defrauding investors in a McKinney technology company as well one third-degree felony charge for failing to register as an investment adviser representative. These charges carry a maximum penalty of 99 years in prison and tens of thousands in fines.