Runaway bride will face music, a guy sitting atop a crane... -- Albany MSNBC Refugees Forum

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Date Posted: Thursday, May 26, 11:41:45am
Author: BJ
Subject: Runaway bride will face music, a guy sitting atop a crane...

downtown who is wanted for murder, the Courthouse killings, teacher cuts her wrists in front of class...and they wonder why they're called rednecks! It seems that Georgia right now is attempting to beat Bama and other Southern states on just which is the most backward.

But the weather is great.

By TASGOLA KARLA BRUNER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/26/05
Runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks will be allowed to complete medical treatment before turning herself in to face charges linked to her fabricated tale of abduction, Gwinnett's district attorney says.

A Gwinnett County grand jury indicted the 32-year-old Wednesday on one felony count of making false statements and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime.

The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The misdemeanor could bring up to a 12-month sentence and a $1,000 fine.

District Attorney Danny Porter said the indictment sent a message: "You just can't lie to the police."

Family and friends' reaction ranged from silence tinged with anger to disappointment. Legal experts weren't surprised by the charges, but questioned whether the wide-eyed runaway should face prison time. And while some of her sympathizers may question it, cases that parallel this one nationally have resulted in tough legal consequences.

Wilbanks' disappearance during an evening jog April 26 transfixed the nation. She surfaced four days later in Albuquerque, N.M., the very day she was to have been married in a lavish ceremony before 600 guests and 28 attendants.

In a nearly hysterical 911 call, Wilbanks told New Mexico authorities she had been abducted by a Hispanic man and a white female in Duluth. They drove her to Albuquerque in a blue van, she said, stopping once along the way to sexually assault her.

She repeated the story in a call to her fianc�'s house. Duluth Police Chief Randy Belcher, who rushed to the home, got there in time to hear the account on an extension, the basis for the charges, authorities have said.

Later that morning, Wilbanks admitted to FBI agents that it was all a lie. She had been overwhelmed by the wedding, she said, took a taxi to the Atlanta airport, and then caught a westbound Greyhound bus.

The media chaos surrounding the Wilbanks saga continued Wednesday when a Gainesville news conference called by Wilbanks' attorney, Lydia Sartain, was abruptly canceled.

"I have a life outside this case," Sartain told a reporter earlier in the day.

The last public comment from Wilbanks came May 10, when a statement released by her family's church reported she had entered a "highly regarded inpatient treatment program."

A terse statement released by Sartain late Wednesday said Wilbanks' "intensive treatment" continued. The earlier statement said Wilbanks voluntarily entered the undisclosed facility to deal with "a host of compelling issues which seemed out of control."

Wilbanks said her cross-country flight had "nothing to do with cold feet" or not being excited about her "spectacular wedding."

Harris Wilbanks, the medical assistant's father, heaved a heavy sigh when asked Wednesday if the charges were excessive.

"We're extremely disappointed," he told a reporter in a brief telephone interview. "It's a family issue, and this is just a very difficult time in our life right now."

Wherabouts unknown

John Mason, Wilbanks' fianc�, declined comment. Wendy Cleghorn, Wilbanks' first cousin, who was to have been one of her 14 bridesmaids, also had little to say.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to say how I feel right now, because if I do, I'm going to vent," she said.

There is precedent for authorities' being tough on runaways who bend the truth. A Wisconsin college student who faked her abduction last year was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to pay police $9,000 for the search.

A similar case in Montana in 2003 resulted in a conviction on a mischief charge. The 41-year-old businesswoman who faked her abduction was sentenced to eight months of house arrest, followed by a year of nightly curfew.

Ron Carlson, a University of Georgia law professor, said the indictment seemed proper, though he didn't think Wilbanks should serve "any jail time."

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Re: BTW. the guy came down after 72 hours, but now we have a NEW one... -- BJ, Tuesday, May 31, 02:04:28am