Judge Offers Church Attendance As Alternative Sentence

A judge in Laurel County, Kentucky offers some defendants the option of attending church services instead of going to jail or rehabilitation, the Louisville Courrier-Journal reports today. The judge, a devout Christian, has offered the choice about 50 times to repeat drug and alcohol offenders. They may select any religious denomination The judge says that the alternative poses no constitutional problems because it is not mandatory. Other lawyers disagree.