Yes, you read it correctly. Earlier this month, Judge Jack Robison of Comal County, Texas, butted in during jury deliberations to ask the jurors to return a not-guilty verdict. Several sources report that Judge Robison apologized and offered by way of explanation that, when “God tells me I gotta do something, I gotta do it.” According to The Dallas Morning News, during God’s ex parte conference with the judge, the Almighty basically instructed Robison to encourage the jury to find Gloria Elizabeth Romero Perez, 32, not guilty of trafficking an underage girl. By the way, the girl was Perez’ own niece. Risking eternal damnation for ignoring God’s edict, the jurors found Perez guilty “on one count of continuous traffic of a person.” Perez was acquitted of one count of selling a child.This sad story began in August 2016, when charges were filed against Perez, according to The Herald Zeitung. Perez was charged with allegedly paying $6k to an unnamed party to smuggle her then-15-year-old niece from Honduras to the United States. Perez also allegedly took money from an older gentleman with whom her niece ended up living. The niece ultimately gave birth to the man’s child.

Romero-Perez mug shot; image courtesty of www.public.co.comal.tx.us.

Judge Robison – allegedly of his own accord and without Divine Influence – recused himself from the sentencing phase of Perez’ trial; that was handled by a different judge. Perez was sentenced to 25 years in prison for “continuously trafficking her teen niece to a much older man.” However, she was acquitted on charges of selling her niece to the man. Perez’ lawyer moved for a mistrial, but that was denied.Judge Robinson’s unique approach to the law has been under examination before. According to The Austin American-Statesman, Robison was privately reprimanded in 2011 for questionable use of his authority. Apparently, Judge Robinson’s ruling in a custody case did not sit well with the child’s grandfather. Said grandfather allegedly called Judge Robison a fool during a bathroom break.As it was reported, the judge took offense. He had bailiffs arrest the outspoken grandfather and ordered him jailed for 30 days. Someone (perhaps God?) intervened on the grandfather’s behalf and he was out of the clink in two days.The Austin American-Statesman reported that the reprimand issued by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct stated that Judge Robison “exceeded the scope of his authority and failed to comply with the law” because he tossed the grandfather in jail. As per usual with such things, the commission’s executive director, Eric Vinson, couldn’t “confirm or deny” allegations that a complaint was made regarding Judge Robison’s unorthodox actions.The judge won’t comment on the current issue, according to Steve Thomas, the court administrator.Perhaps God told the judge to hold his tongue? After all, Judge Robison did say that when “God tells me I gotta do something, I gotta do it.”

Sources:

JUDGE INTERJECTS, TELLS JURY THAT GOD WANTS A NOT GUILTY VERDICT

Texas judge pushes jury for acquittal in child trafficking case, saying God told him to do it

Verdict: Aunt gets 25 years