Marry your girlfriend or go to jail.

[Rageaholic]

Another A-Hole judge. This time in Texas.

Man is sent to court over a fight with his girlfriend's ex. As part of his probation, he is ordered to marry his girlfriend. If that doesn't violate separation of church and state, having to write a bible verse 25 times a day certainly does.

It's bad enough when I read about talking heads acting as this generation not rushing into marriage is a bad thing, but for some judge to legally force someone to get married and go unchallenged is absurd.

[Aragarthiel]

I wonder if he'd be able to sue the judge for lawyer fees and such when they divorce.

[Gravekeeper]

Wow, someone's getting removed form the bench. >.>

Not to mention the couple is 21 and *19*. You don't know your head from your ass yet at that age.

[mjr]

Another A-Hole judge. This time in Texas.

Man is sent to court over a fight with his girlfriend's ex. As part of his probation, he is ordered to marry his girlfriend. If that doesn't violate separation of church and state, having to write a bible verse 25 times a day certainly does.

Not sure the judge making them get married violates that. They could always get married at a courthouse by a Justice of the Peace. They don't have to get married in a church, and based on what I read in the article, the judge didn't order them to marry in a church. He gave them a choice (jail or marriage) and they chose.

To me it's no different than the judges who have ordered "deadbeat dads" with 7 or 8 kids by 3 or 4 different women to either go to jail or get vasectomies. And yes, those cases actually happened in a few different states.

It's bad enough when I read about talking heads acting as this generation not rushing into marriage is a bad thing, but for some judge to legally force someone to get married and go unchallenged is absurd.

He's not legally forcing them, though. They were offered a choice, and they made one.

I'm speaking strictly about the marriage part.

[Greenday]

Another conservative judge acting like an ass? Color me surprised!

[Rageaholic]

Wow, someone's getting removed form the bench. >.>

Not to mention the couple is 21 and *19*. You don't know your head from your ass yet at that age.

Exactly. He was going to take the jail time, but wanted to let his job know he wasn't going to make it, but the judge wouldn't even allow him that. So he felt that in order to keep his job, he had to get married.

I wonder how long they even knew each other before this.

[HYHYBT]

but wanted to let his job know he wasn't going to make it, but the judge wouldn't even allow him that.

Is even that part of this usual?

[ZedOmega]

Is even that part of this usual?

Not that I've heard of, but writing out a verse from Proverbs 25 times daily as one of the probationary terms is even more loony. And let's not get into the issue about Jaynes having to marry the girl whose boyfriend she knocked silly.

[Rageaholic]

Is even that part of this usual?

Don't know, but it's not that unreasonable of a request.

[Gravekeeper]

I wonder how long they even knew each other before this.

1 year. >.>

[gremcint]

the judge is pissed off that they are an unmarried couple living together so he's using this as a power trip to make things fit his views. It's honestly disgusting.

[Shangri-laschild]

Sadly it sounds like they had planned on getting married eventually anyway so I don't know how hard they will push back about this as much as they could. Their regret is more that they didn't get the wedding that they wanted. They have done some interviews but so far I haven't heard about them making more of a fuss about it than that. Hopefully it will still get the judge into enough trouble anyway.

Judges like this really should be gotten rid of. They shouldn't have the power or that kind of control over people.

[mjr]

Their regret is more that they didn't get the wedding that they wanted.

Boo friggin' hoo.

[Jetfire]

Well if they aren't getting married right away, then they should fight back and get this judge turfed.... If they're lucky and can get some financial recompensation, they may get their eventual wedding paid for by that judge (or whomever would be responsible. )

[Shangri-laschild]

Well if they aren't getting married right away, then they should fight back and get this judge turfed.... If they're lucky and can get some financial recompensation, they may get their eventual wedding paid for by that judge (or whomever would be responsible. )

Before the court issue, they hadn't planned on getting married right away. They have since gotten married within the time limit that the judge gave them.