Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Texas' top criminal court agreed to consider U.S. Representative Tom DeLay's motion for a speedy trial on money laundering charges.

The state Court of Criminal Appeals, in a decision released late yesterday, gave Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle one week to submit a written response to the motions filed by lawyer Dick DeGuerin on behalf of the former U.S. House majority leader.

DeLay wants the charges quickly resolved in hopes of regaining the majority leader job before House Republicans hold an election to permanently replace him, possibly next month. Under House rules, DeLay was forced to give up the post temporarily after his Sept. 28 indictment for allegedly funneling corporate money to Texas legislative candidates.

DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden said today that the court could act without requiring both sides to argue the case before the judges. In his filings before Texas' top criminal court, DeGuerin said a trial could begin in early January and be resolved before the end of the month.

``Congressman DeLay's constituents, the citizens of the 22nd Congressional District, as well as the Republican delegation in the United States Congress are being deprived of the effective services of their elected representative as long as the charges remain unresolved,'' DeGuerin wrote.

Earle didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Temporary Replacement

House Republicans unanimously selected House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, to take DeLay's leadership job until January.

DeLay, 58, represents a district in suburban Houston and is planning to run for a 12th term in Congress in November 2006. He won 55 percent of his district's vote in the 2004 race.

DeLay's trial had been stalled while Earle appealed a judge's dismissal of a conspiracy charge. The 3rd Court of Appeals on Dec. 22 refused a request by DeLay's lawyers to proceed with a trial on money laundering while the state tries to get the conspiracy charge reinstated.

DeLay and two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, are accused of taking $190,000 in corporate donations, which under Texas law can't be spent on state races, and sending the money to an arm of the Republican National Committee. The national party subsequently donated a total of $190,000 to seven Texas Republican candidates.

The Republicans captured the state legislature in 2002 for the first time since Reconstruction and redrew the congressional district lines without waiting for the next U.S. Census. That helped the party increase its majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2004 federal elections.

The Bush administration approved the redistricting over the objections of Justice Department lawyers, who said the plan discriminated against minorities. The U.S. Supreme Court said Dec. 12 it would hear a case challenging the redistricting.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 28, 2005 13:55 EST