In an eight to one decision, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled last Friday in favor of a justice of the peace in Waco who was reprimanded for not performing same-sex weddings. The court reinstated her lawsuit against the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The commission had previously issued a public warning for the justice of the peace’s refusal to officiate same-sex weddings, citing a violation of judicial impartiality based on sexual orientation.
As the First Liberty lawyer who is handling this case noted, this is a victory for religious freedom—and it will reverberate beyond Texas legally and I hope culturally. Justices of the peace and even judges here in our state and elsewhere should be able to invoke their religious freedom without imperiling their judicial jobs.
