Posted on 06/13/2022 7:53:40 AM PDT by grundle
An Alabama man who planted flowers on the gravesite of his fiancee and was arrested at the direction of the woman’s disapproving father was found guilty of littering this week.
About a month after Winston “Winchester” Hagans got engaged, his fiancee, Hannah Ford, was killed in a three-car crash in January 2021 that shattered what was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives. To honor the 27-year-old, Hagans placed a planter box full of fresh flowers and photos of the two of them on her grave in Auburn, Ala.
But earlier this year, Hagans was arrested on a charge of criminal littering. City officials had reassured him that he could put the planter at Ford’s gravesite unless there was a complaint. Then he discovered that a complaint had been filed — by the Rev. Tom Ford, his fiancee’s father.
“The police don’t enforce the law unless the owner of the plot tries to do something about it,” Hagans told The Washington Post earlier this year, adding that his late fiancee’s father did not approve of their relationship.
Hagans was convicted Thursday on one count of criminal littering and ordered to pay about $300 in fines and court costs, the Opelika-Auburn News reported. The 32-year-old man was also given a suspended jail sentence of 30 days that will remain suspended as long as Hagans does not place any more flowers or planter boxes on his fiancee’s grave.
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Not really. It still doesn't look like "litter."
sicko police
sicko father in law
sick sick sick
Regardless of his feelings, that property is owned and maintained by her father. It’s time to back off and stop bothering her parents.
Her boyfriend could create his own tribute to her, far away from that gravesite. He could buy a small tree or a flowering bush. Her parents don’t ever need to know about it.
“Maybe the father could have been less of a doosh and offered to collaborate with the fiance on a meaningful memorial that both could be on board with....”
Maybe the dude should have respected cemetery rules and the father’s wishes.
Really?
Don’t get me started on Florida Man!
“the loss of his daughter would be enough for the father to let go of anger”
As a man that’s supposed to be leading and teaching people to be more like Jesus he should be ashamed of himself.
If I was a member of his congregation I would have to seriously consider finding a new home Church.
“If this is correct it helps to make more sense out of the story, but it should still never have gotten to the “conviction” phase. The judge should have told him to clean it up and stop doing it and then the judge should have dismissed the case.”
I am OK with the small fine and court costs.
The photo of the cemetery looks similar to my families. His boxes were not IAW rules and looked out of place.
Now Methodist-Episcopals have tranny ministers, promote and celebrate gay marriage and gay adoption, and have turned churches into pagan galleries. How times change!
“That may be so, and he may have a legal right to act like an obnoxious bitch, but the court should have simply told the guy to remove the flowers and then dismissed the case.”
Not flowers but wooden planters he placed 10 times even after being told they were no allowed by cemetery rules.
He was told it was ok to do unless there was a complaint. This is about his would be father in law being a spiteful p*** in the wake of his daughter’s death. The reality is she chose this made to be her husband. Now her father disrespects her in death. I don’t find the flower box in poor taste. He’s clearly grieving and trying to honor her and their relationship
Every place has bizarre folks.
Alabama does have mountains of strangeness in her folk.
True. And also, apparently, the demons fluttering around in his head.
I don't consider $300.00 to be a small fine. I also think court costs can be pretty expensive nowadays. I seem to recall they were $85.00 for municipal court the last time I heard.
But why do people have to add pain to someone, even if they are in the wrong? Why is there no common sense or "heart" to these actions?
His boxes were not IAW rules and looked out of place.
A lot of people nowadays can't tell "tacky" when they see it. If the father cleaned it up 10 times, then the court should have handled it, but they should have handled it better than they did.
Maybe it’s something in the water. 😏
“City officials had reassured him that he could put the planter at Ford’s gravesite unless there was a complaint.”
The cemetery is owned by the city. The city told him the boxes weren’t allowed and he was warned legal action would be forthcoming if he continued.
“If the father cleaned it up 10 times, then the court should have handled it, but they should have handled it better than they did.”
He was warned by the city (owner of the cemetery) and still continued placing the boxes.
The court handled it just fine.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
A father forbidding a 27-year-old daughter to see a guy for thirty days seems unusual as well. Obviously, the father did not like who his daughter was dating. I suspect religious differences. The pictures are probably triggering the father and I suspect the boyfriend is doing it partially for spite. They need a plain vase that anyone could put flowers in.
All in good taste.
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