“Lord, If You’re in It…”: Judges, Jesus, and Traffic Tickets

• In Event: 30254 - Professionall Legal Practices

Abstract

This paper examines how religion permeates the lowest level of the judiciary: the municipal court. That the majority of all criminal justice contact occurs in the municipal court, where judges are seldom required to hold law degrees, underscores the importance of understanding how religion shapes Class C misdemeanor outcomes. Using data from 64 in-depth interviews with judges and justices of the peace across the state of Texas, we consider the role of religion in shaping judicial approaches in three key ways. First, we describe how religion motivates judges’ decision to run for election. We then highlight how judges understand their successful election through an explicitly religious orientation. Finally, we examine how religious values and beliefs influence the construction of judicial philosophies and case outcomes. We conclude by discussing the implications of judicial religiosity on religious freedom, judicial discretion, and the reproduction of inequality.

Authors

• Claire Nicole Migliore, University of Texas-Austin

• Carolina Salinas-Garcia, University of Texas at Austin

• Sarah Garcia, University of Texas at Austin

• Becky Pettit, University of Texas-Austin