Texas Judge Seeks Class Relief Over Same-Sex Marriage Opt-Out

A Texas justice of the peace who chose to stop officiating weddings rather than get sanctioned for marrying only opposite-sex couples is seeking class relief on behalf of other officiants whose religious beliefs caused them to make the same decision.

Judge William P. Brandt, a Christian from Tarrant County, says he’s lost out on over $500,000 in additional income by not officiating marriages since May 2018, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court. He’s pursuing classwide damages for “many other justices of the peace in Texas” who’ve opted out of officiating same-sex weddings for religious reasons.

Brandt filed ...