She married a murderer

[PepperElf]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/20...confessing-to/

U.S. - US
California School Board Member Refuses to Step Down After Reportedly Confessing to Marrying Murderer


I'm on her side on this one. Yes her husband was a murderer but he did his time and served a 27 year sentence.


Although i also understand the community will dislike the fact that she advertised herself a divorced - which I agree is something she shouldn't have done... but... if they want her to step down BECAUSE she's married to *him* - and not because she didn't disclose the marriage... that's where the problem can become sticky in my opinion.

[Andara Bledin]

This whole thing is a very sticky mess.

article on OC Weekly blog
article on the Fontana Herald.

California has an interesting law on the books that you can be married in secret. She and her husband chose that option, at which point it would require a court order or the decision of the couple to go public, which is what happened based on his release from prison.

Jason Garcia was one of two gang members that were tried in the shooting deaths of members of a rival gang who had engaged them as they were cruising a neighborhood after leaving a party. The conviction came down in 1985, and he was 17 at the time. If it weren't for the gang affiliations, a properly funded and motivated defense might have found that he acted in self defense.

The current furor is over an application to run for the school board, which has a line upon it requesting marital status, which she listed as divorced. However, according to one of the articles linked above, San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Mike Scarpello said that nowhere on the forms filed by office seekers asks for marital status.

That leads me to ask: What is this application that she had filled out, and does it have any legal standing or is it just an extra form with no real meaning or value, despite what people think?

^-.-^

[tropicsgoddess]

It's her business who she marries but she did lie on her application about being divorced when she really wasn't. I could give a shit less who's married to who but it's not right to think that somebody can keep their job after they lied on their application, regardless of their position.

[HYHYBT]

If the law is indeed that you can have a secret marriage, then why is it not precisely the same situation as a job application that asks if you've ever been convicted of a felony, but on which you're supposed to answer "no" if it was sealed, expunged, etc.?

[Andara Bledin]

It's her business who she marries but she did lie on her application about being divorced when she really wasn't.

But what, exactly, is the application? The position is elected, not hired or appointed. And the County Registrar has stated that there is no such question on the forms required to be added to the ballot. Is there some additional process whereby the mayor (one of those making accusations) picks or blocks potential candidates from throwing their hats into the ring?

And, as HYHYBT notes, she was possibly legally entitled to provide the answer she did based on the type of marriage contract she was under.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

i didn't realize CA legally allowed you to keep a marriage secret.
Wouldn't that then forbid being asked about your marital status for something like this?

I mean I can understand having it for taxes, as to determine what you are legally entitled to but ... perhaps the job application is then illegal if it violates CA law?

[Sleepwalker]

Did she advertise it? Seems an odd thing to advertise ina campaign. Also, is it untrue? Divorced just means you had a divorce.