Posted on 05/07/2005 7:45:00 PM PDT by kcvl
By MARK DAVIS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 05/08/05
Excerpt...
Her travels may be over, but Wilbanks' troubles may have just begun. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said he was examining evidence for a possible charge of making false statements to a government agency.
Sartain believes that's not necessary.
"She is deeply regretful of the pain she caused her family, her fiancé, her friends and the community who rallied to her aid," the lawyer said Wednesday. "I believe Jennifer committed no crime."
Arrests for shoplifting
Sartain, a former Hall County district attorney, knows her client. Court records show that Wilbanks was arrested three times in that county on shoplifting charges from 1996 to 1998.
In 1996, as district attorney, Sartain prosecuted Wilbanks for allegedly shoplifting $1,740 in merchandise from a Gainesville mall, court records show. Sartain dropped the felony charge after Wilbanks, then 24, completed a pretrial diversion program, the records show. Wilbanks performed 75 hours of community service and paid restitution, according to court records.
Months before that felony arrest, police had charged Wilbanks with misdemeanor shoplifting for allegedly taking $37.05 in merchandise from a Gainesville Wal-Mart. Court records show that officials dismissed the case after Wilbanks completed "Project Turnabout," a six-week counseling program for shoplifters.
She was arrested again, city court records show, in April 1998, when Wilbanks, then 25, was charged with shoplifting $98 worth of merchandise from a store. She pleaded guilty and served two weekends in jail. A judge also sentenced her to probation, a $400 fine and 50 hours of community service.
But it was HER parents who raised and appear to have ignored this problem child.
I have a daughter just slightly younger than Jen. When she got married just a few weeks she of 5 years ago, we had people flying in from 4 other countries and almost 1/2 the states in America. There were 3 bridesmaids, one maid of honor,3 groomsmen, one best man,and 2 ushers. There were NOT 8 showers ( which is obscene! ), and outside of the weather ( which stalled some people at airports all over this country, so they wound up there and NOT at the wedding or reception and had some people arriving late to the rehearsal ),there were NO major problems at all and no runaway bride.But then, I and my husband raised our daughter well and were and are very good parents.
And before you jump to any strange conclusions, this was what is sometimes called a "society wedding" and did NOT take place in some podunk place !
This is a serious query, since I've never been in a Wal-Mart and don't know much about it.Also, I thought that Wal-Mart had its own stand alone stores. It's claimed that she did her shoplifting at a mall.
LOL
So do I. :-)
My two cents worth. Assorted and random thoughts, signifying nothing.
Maybe it was her husband-to-be that drove her to the bus station. Maybe they are in cahoots and staged it all, to make lots of bucks from book and/or movie sales, and assorted appearances. Undoubtedly this is a total figment of my imagination, but there it is.
John Mason has a ledge on his forehead. Jennifer's eyes pop out of their sockets, but John has a step located in the middle of his forehead. Sort of a reverse Neanderthal. Don't believe me? Take a look at him on TV next time he is in profile, and tell me that there isn't a step there. Maybe that's why Jennifer's eyes keep bugging out, from constantly looking at that step. Snide, but it's how I'm thinking at this moment in time.
Jennifer is a hysteric type personality, IMHO. Can't control her impulses. I think there's more to come out about her past. As for her reasons for splitting, perhaps as she wasn't getting any nooky from John, she thought he was gay. Maybe John IS gay. Although, if true that he screwed around when younger, and was born again so is now advocating renewed virginity, then the gay theory doesn't hold. But it sounds like Jennifer wanted to try out the equipment before signing the contract on the dotted line.
Jennifer's parents. Did they even know about her shoplifting charges? She would have been in her mid-twenties when she was pilfering, so probably wasn't living at home. They might not even know about her past track record of shoplifting. If they didn't, they do now.
You aren't going to see any marriage for a long time (unless my theory that they were in cahoots actually is true). John's Daddy is going to nix this union and put his monetary foot down. Daddy's "losing face" quota must be sky high, as his son has become a laughing stock, and the old man having once been mayor and being a judge, isn't going to take lightly to having this nutcake in his family. Besides, who in their right mind would want to schedule another wedding date? Maybe if a variety of wedding dates were set, then Jennifer might show up at one of them. A real crap shoot.
The haiku's on this thread are funnier than any wedding between these two could ever be. Plus, I loved the Munch picture of "The Scream" on this thread, substituting the runaway bride. What a perfect analogy. Kudu's on that one.
That's it for now folks. Perhaps more to come as other shoes' drop.
...and what's more, it was at Leonard's in Great Neck!
It's not my fault, that you aren't up to snuff about the facts of this thing; but yours. ;^)
interesting that the prosecutor in that case is now her defense attorney.
...what would be REALLY interesting to know is who is paying the lawyer bills. I'd give you good odds that it's the groom's family.
My daughter got married in Chicago (Fourth Pres.; THE society church on Michigan Ave.!) and the reception was in a FAMOUS landmark building, whose ballroom had just had a $50,000,000 face-lift/redo, with Chicago's version of the Duchin orchestra playing for high tea and dancing, with a Dixieland/roaring '20s banjo band playing for the cocktail hour.
Harrrrrrrrumph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not "interesting" at all. This smells of collusion and them some.
No doubt some people are offering money for their stories, already. I haven't read anywhere that they are seriously considering offers, though, as you implied. If I missed something, you can provide a link and a quote.
If "she stuck by her story long enough to undergo a rape exam" then she must have had a recent extra marital sample for them to test for.
So she wasn't lowered down from the ceiling in a giant plexiglass ball and there was no laser light show during the ceremony?
Guess you cheaped out, huh?
Sorry....I don't do links. Go read the N.Y. Post on line; they have an archive. Do your own damned scut work.
...no smoke effects during the vows or Queen's We Are the Champions at the first kiss?
Surely you had the giant chopped liver sculpture of the NYC skyline and the lobsters arranged like the Rockettes.
or, instead of me doing all that work, you could withdraw your comment if you're unable to back it up.
I would assume it's true.
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