Jan. 8th: Bigamy charge could send man to 25 years-to-life under
3-strikes
Bigamy, a crime normally punishable by no more than three years in
prison, could send a Visalia man away for 25 years to life, reports the Los
Angeles Times.
It all began when Todd Givens, 30, was on trial in 1997
on drug and weapons charges. Assuming that he was on his way to prison, Givens
got married so he could have conjugal visits, said his attorney, Charles
Rothbaum. But a Tulare County jury acquitted Givens. Then last month, the
district attorney's office charged him with getting married in a jailhouse
ceremony while still legally married to another woman. Because Givens has two
prior felony convictions, prosecutors have turned the bigamy into a third
strike that could mean 25 years to life. "Bigamy Charge Is Man's 3rd Strike,"
Los Angeles Times, 01/08/00.
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Date last modified: 05/01/00.