|
|
| Mass. Inmate Asks Court to Allow Prison Wedding |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/30/2003 |
|
A prison inmate whose planned wedding was halted by the Bristol County, Mass., sheriff has asked a Superior Court to force authorities to let him walk down the aisle. Garry Jacquet, a 28-year-old Haitian incarcerated at the Bristol County House of Corrections while he awaits deportation on immigration charges, wants to marry Guilaine Lorzeille, an American citizen who lives in Somerville. But Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson last week denied Jacquet's nuptial request, and that of another inmate, citing security concerns. Jacquet's attorney, Jeffrey B. Rubin, has asked the Superior Court for a preliminary injunction to permit the marriage, and to pay for the wedding and Jacquet's attorney fees. Jacquet and Lorzeille met at church two years ago and planned to get married this fall, according to Rubin. But Jacquet, who was born in Haiti but has lived his entire adult life in the U.S., was detained for staying after his legal immigrant status had expired. Hodgson said Jacquet lost his right to marry when he went to jail and said Rubin is using the marriage to bolster Jacquet's hopes of staying in the country. ''The inmate had the opportunity to marry on the outside if he followed the rules,'' Hodgson said. ''We can't start altering our security policies and bringing in these services simply because these people couldn't follow the rules.'' Rubin, who has represented other imprisoned clients who got permission to marry, filed for the preliminary injunction on Monday. He acknowledged the marriage could be an attempt to prevent deportation, but he said the constitution still protects Jacquet's right to marry. ''Although Jacquet is not a United States Citizen, he still merits the protections of the United States Constitution,'' Rubin wrote in the filing. The state Department of Corrections says an inmate may be married in jail if he or she is not in solitary confinement, not perceived to be a security threat, and is incarcerated ''at a facility that can facilitate marriages.'' In April, the state Appeals Court ordered Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonough to allow one of his inmates to get married at the Plymouth County jail. McDonough had objected to the jailhouse wedding, saying the inmate, Dwight Kennedy of Brockton, had a history of domestic assault. Rubin did not immediately return a call seeking comment. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think