Texas judge orders man to marry girlfriend or go to jail

A Texas judge ordered a man to marry his 19-year-old girlfriend, write down Bible verses and attend counseling as punishment for punching another man in the jaw. 

The case stemmed from a February altercation between defendant Josten Bundy and the ex-boyfriend of his girlfriend, Elizabeth Jaynes, local news station KLTV reported Thursday. 

“[The ex-boyfriend] had been saying disrespectful things about Elizabeth, so I challenged him to a fight,” Mr. Bundy said, KLTV reported. “He stepped in, and I felt like it was on, and I hit him in the jaw twice.”

Mr. Bundy said that the ex-boyfriend did not require medical attention but pressed assault charges. 

Smith County Judge Randall Rodgers asked Mr. Bundy about the fight at the sentencing hearing. 

“Is she worth it?” Judge Rodgers asked, according to court transcripts, KLTV reported. 

“I said, well to be honest, sir, I was raised with four sisters, and if any man was talking to a woman like that, I’d probably do the same thing,” Mr. Bundy told the station.

Mr. Rodgers then told him as part of his probation Mr. Bundy would have to marry his girlfriend within 30 days. 

If Mr. Bundy declined to do the probation, he would be sentenced to jail for 15 days. 

Mr. Bundy asked if he could call his work to let them know he would be serving the time, but Mr. Rodgers refused saying, “Nope, that’s not how this works,” KLTV reported. 

Afraid of losing his job, Mr. Bundy agreed to marry Ms. Jaynes. The couple applied for a marriage license and scheduled a date with the justice of the peace to get married. 

Ms. Jaynes told KLTV that the “proposal” made her feel embarrassed, and she was upset they weren’t going to be able to have the wedding they wanted. 

Attorney Blake Bailey, who practices constitutional law, told KLTV an order to marry is not a legal sentence. 

“To say you’re not going to be criminally punished if you get married is way out of left field,” Mr. Bailey said. “It sounds like the old days of shotgun weddings, but not even the judge is capable of enforcing what he thinks is best for some people in his court.”

Mr. Bundy and Ms. Jaynes say they do not regret getting married — they had discussed marriage earlier in their relationship — but they do regret not being able to plan or have control over their special day. They plan to have a larger wedding in the future when they can save enough money. 

Mr. Bailey said the sentence would likely have been struck down in an appeals court. 

Judge Rodgers declined to interview about an open probation case.