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ACLU
I
AMERICANCIVILLIBERTIESUNIONofTEXAS
March29,2011StateCommissiononJudicialConductP.o.Box12265AustinTX78711JudgeShermanRossPresidingJudgeoftheCountyCriminalCourtsHarrisCountyCriminalCourtatLawNo.10HarrisCountyCriminalJusticeCenter1201Franklin-10
th
FloorHoustonTX77002-1900ViaFax:(713)368-9265Re:HarrisCountyCriminalCourtatLawNo.4JudgeJohnClintonDearStateCommissiononJudicialConductandJudgeRoss:WewriteonbehalfoftheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnion(ACLU)FoundationofTexas.TheACLUisanation-wide,non-profit,nonpartisanorganizationwithover500,000membersdedicatedtothedefenseofconstitutionalrightsandcivilliberties.TheACLUofTexasisthestateaffiliateofthenationalorganization,withover12,000supportersandmembersacrossthestateandofficesinHouston,Austin,andBrownsville.WewriteinreferencetoHarrisCountyCriminalCourtatLawJudgeJohnClinton,whohaspresidedoverHarrisCountyCriminalCourtNo.4sinceJanuary1,2011.Inthiscapacity,JudgeClintonpresidesoveroneofHarrisCounty'sfifteencountycriminalcourtsatlawwithcountywidejurisdictionoverseriousmisdemeanorcasessuchasdrivingwhileintoxicated,domesticviolence,illegalpossessionofdrugs,criminalpollution,andtheft.TheACLUofTexaswasrecentlyadvisedthatJudgeClintonmayhavebeenabusingthepowerofhisofficetocoerceindividualsappearinginfrontofhimintoreviewingsectarian
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religiousmaterialsandacceptingorendorsingJudgeClinton'sreligiousviewpointasaconditionofprobation.Accordingly,wewritetobringtheseallegationstoyourattentionandtorequestanimmediateinvestigationand,shouldtheallegationsbesubstantiated,promptaction.
1.
AllegationsSpecifically,itisourunderstandingthatJudgeClintonhasbeenrequiringorencouragingprobationersinhiscourttocompleteBiblestudyexercisesandreadingassignmentsfrom"TheHeartoftheProblem"byHenryBrandtandKerryL.Skinner."TheHeartoftheProblem"isaBiblestudybookthatproselytizesChristianityandadvocatesturningtoGodtosolveproblems.Accordingtothebook'swebsite,www.heartoftheproblem.com."TheHeartoftheProblem"isa"GroupBiblestudyguide"dedicatedtotheprinciplethat:Theoriginofallproblems-family,finances,career,relationships-canallbetracedbacktoasinglesource:life-dominatingsin.Nohumanremedycancureit.ButeveryonecanfindvictoryoversinintheWordofGod....basedontwobiblicalprinciplesremarkableintheirsimplicity:1.Thereisnohumanremedyforsin.2.TheonlycureforsinisinChrist.ChristcleansessinandinvitesyoutowalkintheSpirit.TheantidotetosinfullivingisclearandabundantinGod'sWord.
1
TheACLUhasbeentoldthatJudgeClintonhasdiscussedhispersonalreligiousbeliefsincourtandpointedlyaskedprobationersinhiscourtabouttheirreligiousbeliefsandchurchattendance,includingspecificallyaskingdefendantsiftheybelieveinJesusChristandbelievethatJesusChrististheirpersonallordandsavior.
It
ourunderstandingthatJudgeClintonhasincludedreligiousassignmentsinprobationtermsandwaivedcommunityservicerequirementsforprobationerswhocompletereligiousassignments.Finally,itisourunderstandingthatprobationersappearingbeforeJudgeClintonhavebeenexhortedbyhiminopencourtto"followthrough"withtheteachingsintheBiblestudybookandbeenrequiredtomeetwithJudgeClintoninhischamberstodiscusstheBiblestudybook'simpactontheprobationer'slife.
http://heartoftheproblem.com/(visitedMarch28,2011).
2
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II.LegalAnalysisIftheallegationsaresubstantiated,JudgeClinton'sactionswouldbeinviolationoftheEstablishmentClauseoftheFirstAmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitution.Thethree-parttestenunciatedbytheSupremeCourtin
Lemon
v.
Kurtzman,
403U.S.602(1971)isusedtoevaluateEstablishmentClauseviolations,andaskswhetheranactionbythestate(1)hasasecularpurpose,(2)neitheradvancesnorinhibitsreligion,and(3)doesnotresultinan"excessivegovernmententanglement"withreligion.Theactionmustsatisfyallthreeprongsinordertobeconstitutional.Requiringprobationerstoread"TheHeartoftheProblem"asaconditionofprobationclearlyviolatesthe
Lemon
test.
It
isaxiomaticthataself-described"adultBiblestudycurriculum"doesnothaveasecularpurpose.AlthoughJudgeClintonhasreportedlyclaimedthathisintentwasmerelytohelpprobationersimprovetheirlives,thebook'smessage,coupledwithJudgeClinton'sdiscussionsaboutJesusChristandChristianity,clearlyhavetheeffectofadvancingreligion.Finally,discussionofthejudge'sanddefendants'religiousbeliefsinthesettingofacriminalproceedinginthecourtroom,askingprobationerswhethertheyhavearelationshipwithJesus,andrequiringthemtoreadandcompletetheexercisesin"TheHeartoftheProblem"allfosterexcessivegovernmententanglementwithreligion.Accordingly,JudgeClinton'sactionsasallegedherefailthesecondandthirdprongsofthe
Lemon
testandarethusinviolationoftheFirstAmendment.
In
Warner
v.
OrangeCountyDepartmentofProbation,
acasedirectlyonpoint,theCourtofAppealsfortheSecondCircuitheldthatorderingadefendantonprobationtoattendarecoveryprogramwithsignificantreligiouscontentviolatesthedefendant'sconstitutionalrights.115F.3d1068,1074(2ndCir.1997)("TheSupremeCourthasrepeatedlymadeclearthatataminimum,theConstitutionguaranteesthatgovernmentmaynotcoerceanyonetosupportorparticipateinreligionoritsexercise,orotherwiseactinawaywhichestablishesastatereligionorreligiousfaith,ortendstodoso.")(quotationmarksandcitationsomitted).
In
Kerr
v.
Farrey,
95F.3d472(7thCir.1996),theSeventhCircuitCourtofAppealsarticulatedathree-parttestapplicabletoanystateactionwhichconditionsanindividual's3
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