Judicial commissions issues warning to Waco JP who refused to marry same-sex couples
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct has issued a warning to McLennan County Precinct 1 (Waco) Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley (R) for refusing to perform marriages for same-sex couples while continuing to do so for opposite-sex couples. The public warning was issued Nov. 12 and announced Monday, Dec. 2.
The commission concluded that Hensely “violated ethical standards by adopting a policy that casts doubt on her ability to treat LGBTQ people fairly in her courtroom,” according to a report by the Austin American-Statesman. The commission noted that the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct requires that judges “do not cast reasonable doubt on the judge’s capacity to act impartially,” and that her refusal to treat all couples equally does indeed casts such doubts.
KWTX TV in Waco reported that since August 2016, Hensley and her staff have given same-sex couples asking the JP to perform their marriage ceremonies a document stating: “I’m sorry, but Judge Hensley has a sincerely held religious belief as a Christian, and will not be able to perform any same sex weddings.”
The Waco TV station also noted that according to the warning document, Hensley testified before the commission that “she would recuse herself from a case in which a party doubted her impartiality on the basis she publicly refuses to perform same-sex weddings.”
Read more: https://dallasvoice.com/judicial-commissions-issues-warning-to-waco-jp-who-refused-to-marry-same-sex-couples/