A Texas judge who spent years fighting disciplinary action over her religious convictions has emerged victorious after a court awarded her damages and ordered state officials to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Judge Dianne Hensley of Waco, Texas, was awarded $10,000 in damages and approximately $630,000 in attorneys’ fees after challenging sanctions imposed against her for declining to officiate same-sex wedding ceremonies.
The case has become one of the most closely watched religious liberty disputes in Texas, raising major questions about whether government officials can punish judges for acting in accordance with deeply held religious beliefs.
