AN EAST TEXAS JUDGE BY THE NAME OF RANDALL
ROGERS FORCED A MAN TO MARRY HIS GIRLFRIEND SO HE WOULDN'T HAVE
TO FACE ANY JAIL TIME.
THE GUY IN QUESTION HERE IS JOSTEN
BUNDY, APPARENTLY HE GOT INTO AN ALTERCATION WITH HIS
GIRLFRIEND'S EX-BOYFRIEND.
HE ALLEGES THAT THE EX-BOYFRIEND
WAS BEING RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL SO HE TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS OWN
HANDS AND TRIED TO DEFEND HER.
WELL, HE DID THAT, OF COURSE THEY
GOT INTO A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION, AND HE WAS FACING CHARGES AS A
RESULT.
HE STOOD BEFORE JUDGE RANDALL ROGERS, AND ROGERS TOLD
HIM, THIS IS VERY EASY.
I WILL GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS.
AS PART
OF YOUR PROBATION, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MARRY WITHIN 30 DAYS,
TELLING HIM THE ALTERNATIVE WAS 50 DAYS IN JAIL.
EITHER MARRY
YOUR GIRLFRIEND OR FACE 15 DAYS IN JAIL.
BEFORE HE SAID THAT,
THEY HAD A BACK-AND-FORTH AND THE JUDGE WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT,
YOU GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH THIS DUDE, WAS SHE WORTH IT?
THE GUY
OF COURSE WAS LIKE, BUNDY WAS LIKE, I WAS RAISED TO PROTECT
WOMEN AND IN THIS CASE SHE WAS BEING DISRESPECTED, SO I DID
WHAT I DID.
THAT IS WHEN THE JUDGE TOLD HIM IF YOU WANT TO
NOT SERVE ANY TIME IN JAIL, YOU NEED TO MARRY HER.
THEY ACTUALLY
GOT MARRIED.
THEY WENT IN FRONT OF A JUDGE AND THEY DID A COURT
WEDDING, AND ACCORDING TO HIS GIRLFRIEND ELIZABETH, "IT JUST
FELT LIKE WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE WEDDING WE
WANTED."
OF COURSE YOU WEREN'T.
"IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE KIND OF PIECED TOGETHER, I DIDN'T
EVEN HAVE A WHITE DRESS."
>> I AM LIKE 78% OF THE WAY TOWARD LOVING THIS JUDGE.
>>WHAT?
HE ALSO MADE HIM WRITE BIBLE VERSES.
>>THAT IS WHERE HE LOST ME.
THAT PROVED THAT IT WAS JUST SORT OF
A NUTTY MORALISTIC PREACHING, AS OPPOSED TO, WELL, IF YOU THINK
SHE IS WORTH DEFENDING, THEN GO AHEAD AND MARRY HER AND I WILL
KNOW YOU ARE SERIOUS AND I WON'T SEND YOU TO JAIL.
BUT THE JUDGE
SAYS, OKAY, IF YOU DON'T GET MARRIED IN FIVE MONTHS I WILL
PUT YOU IN JAIL FOR 15 DAYS, HA HA, SHAKE HANDS, EVERYBODY
GIVES EACH OTHER A HUG,
THAT IS LIKE SMALL-TOWN JUDGING.
>>IT IS ILLEGAL, BUT --
>>I AM NOT EVEN SURE IT IS.
>>YOU CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO GET MARRIED SO THEY DON'T HAVE
TO SERVE TIME IN JAIL.
>>I GUARANTEE YOU THERE IS NOT A SPECIFIC LAW THAT PREVENTS THAT.
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ANYONE.
>>OKAY, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A LAW THAT SAYS YOU CANNOT SENTENCE
SOMEONE TO MARRIAGE IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO SERVE JAIL TIME.
>>YOU CAN GIVE ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON TIME.
HE RUINED IT
BECAUSE HE IS A CRAZY PERSON IT TURNS OUT.
THERE IS AN ANDY
GRIFFITH LIKE 1950S QUALITY TO THIS METING OUT OF JUSTICE, YOU
DO 15 DAYS IN JAIL OR YOU HELP OLD MAN ROBERTS ON THAT FARM
BECAUSE HE NEEDS YOUR HELP, YOU DO THAT AND WE WILL LEAVE THE
WHOLE THING.
ALL RIGHT.
I LIKE THAT, I LIKE ALL OF THAT STUFF.
BUT IT TURNS OUT HE IS NOT.
>>HE MADE HIM WRITE BIBLE VERSES AS WELL.
THE COUPLE GOT A
MARRIAGE LICENSE AND WERE MARRIED BY A JUSTICE OF THE
PEACE, BUT MONDAY WAS UNHAPPY BECAUSE THE IMPROMPTU WEDDING
MEANT MANY IN HIS FAMILY COULD NOT ATTEND, AND JAYNES FATHER
CRITICIZED THE JUDGE FOR FORCING THE WEDDING ON THE YOUNG COUPLE.
ALSO A LOCAL ATTORNEY SAYS THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL, AND HE SAYS, TO
SAY YOU WERE NOT GOING TO BE CRIMINALLY PUNISHED IF YOU GET
MARRIED HIS WAY OUT OF LEFT FIELD.
THIS IS BLAKE BAILEY, THE
ATTORNEY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OLD DAYS OF SHOTGUN WEDDINGS, BUT
NOT EVEN THE JUDGE IS CAPABLE OF ENFORCING WHAT HE SAYS IS
BEST FOR SOME PEOPLE IN HIS COURT.
>>THAT SAID, IS A SHAME THAT EVERYBODY GOT ALL UPPITY ABOUT IT.
>>HERE IS THE THING, HE HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN 15
DAYS IN PRISON, OR THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON.
AND HE WENT WITH THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
>>LOOK AT YOU.
>>I AM JUST KIDDING.
MARRIAGE IS AWESOME, I'M SURE.
>>THERE IS A COOL PART TO THE FIRST PART.
>>NO, THERE ISN'T A COOL PART.
HE IS FUCKING WITH THEIR LIVES.
>>HE SAID I HAD TO STEP TO THIS GUY, LIKE, I IF HAD TO BEAT UP --
I HAD TO BEAT UP JESUS, YOUR EX, BECAUSE HE IS DISSING YOU.
HE
PUNCHES HIM, IT IS A CRIME, YOU CAN'T PUNCH A GUY.
AND CHRISTIAN
SAYS, YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT ANA LIKE THAT.
AND THE JUDGE SAYS,
IF IT IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU, MARRY HER.
THAT WILL SHOW ME YOU ARE NOT LYING IN MY COURT.
THAT IS A NICE THING.
>>IT IS A NICE STORY FOR ME, BECAUSE I WANT TO MARRY HIM.
BUT --
>>JAMES WOULD BE LIKE, SHUT UP.
STAY OUT OF JAIL.
>>BUT HE MADE THEM GET MARRIED RIGHT AWAY.
IT WAS NOT LIKE IN
FIVE MONTHS.
>>I GOT IT, HE SCREWED IT UP.
>>AND I THINK THE GIRL WAS 19.
HOW OLD IS THE GIRL?
>>I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE.
>>IF SHE IS 19, THIS IS EVEN MORE OF A DISASTER.
>>I AM LOOKING FOR A NUMBER IN THIS STORY, I AM PRETTY
SURE SHE WAS PRETTY YOUNG.
>>THEY ARE BOTH VERY YOUNG, WHICH IS WHY THIS IS SUCH A
TERRIBLE IDEA.
>>AND THEY GOT MARRIED, RIGHT?
I'M PRETTY SURE YOU CAN GET THAT
ANNULLED.
>>I HOPE THAT THEY DO.
UNLESS THEY REALLY LOVE EACH OTHER AND WANTED TO GET
MARRIED ANYWAY.
BUT YOU DON'T MESS WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES LIKE THAT.
>>YOU KNOW WHAT?
THEY ARE GOING TO BE FINE.
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE FINE, HE DID NOT GO TO JAIL, AND
THERE IS SOMETHING CHARMING ABOUT RANDALL ROGERS.
>>BEN, OUT OF NOWHERE.
I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.