Judge Given 640K after Refusing to Officiate Same Sex Wedding
Does conviction lead to action? For Judge Dianna Hensley, I’d say so.
As a Texas Judge, Hensley was previously disciplined for declining to officiate same-sex weddings in her town due to personal religious beliefs. On June 16th, 2026, however, she won $640,000 in a legal victory—$10,000 in damages plus $630,000 in attorneys' fees. How?
According to the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Hensley was to be protected from "investigating, sanctioning, or disciplining.”
“Judge Hensley always adhered to the law and the legal guidance provided by the attorney general of Texas,” said First Liberty Institute Executive General Counsel Hiram Sasser. “We are grateful that this case has concluded and that Judge Hensley was vindicated.” First Liberty added that while Hensley refused to officiate the wedding in McLennan County, Hensley compiled a referral list of officiants who would perform the ceremonies at her price.
In 2019, Hensley sued the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct for violating her rights under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. As of 2026, the Supreme Court added a clause to the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct to clarify and hopefully further prevent future issues: “It is not a violation of these canons for a judge to publicly refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief.”
However, based on the most recent case, the Commission didn’t immediately side with Hensley. According to The Christian Post, “The comment only gives a judge the authority to ‘opt out’ of officiating due to a sincere religious belief, but does not say that a judge can, at the same time, welcome to her chambers heterosexual couples for whom she willingly offers to conduct marriage ceremonies.”
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Zerbor
Originally published June 23, 2026.
