It has been said that having a wife is like having a ball and chain, which isn’t the most flattering description of women. However, I now have definitive proof that, when push comes to shove, men actually will choose a lifetime of marriage over even a short jail term. Thanks, Judge Randall Rogers!

How did Rogers create this much needed proof? Why, by giving out a sentence unlike any other, of course.

How I Married Your Mother: The Romantic Tale of Josten Bundy and Elizabeth Jaynes

I like to picture Josten Bundy, currently 20, one day sitting his son and daughter down, “How I Met Your Mother” style, and telling his kids the true tale of his marriage to their mother.

“Now kids, it all started in March of 2015…” he will start to say while his kids roll their eyes because they are well aware their parents didn’t get married until August of 2015, so why was this story starting in March? They could already tell it was going to be a long one.

However, unlike Ted’s unnecessary additions to the mother of all stories, Bundy’s tale really did begin in March. That’s when he got into a fateful altercation with his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Because assault is a crime, especially when it results in bodily injury, the young man was arrested.

However, he would not go before a judge for several more months. Let’s just skip ahead to then: he was found guilty.

The Rule of Love: A Highly Unusual Sentence

Randall Rogers does not only have an unusual name, he also has an unusual style of judgment. Take, for example, his ruling on the Bundy case. He sentenced Bundy to 15 days of jail for his assault charge.

Wait! That seems pretty normal. What’s the catch? Well, unlike some judges who like to lay down the law and expect it to be followed, Judge Rogers believes in a little bit of freedom in his punishments. Thus, he actually let Bundy choose.

He could either …

a.) go to jail for 15 days; or

b.) marry his girlfriend within 30 days, write some bible verses, and go to counseling (you know–to prove that getting in a fight over her was worth it or something).

That’s right–Bundy married his girlfriend because he was required to do so by the court. It’s weird when the whole “write bible verses” as a legal punishment thing gets so outshadowed in a ruling as to be barely mentioned in the story, but there we have it.

Wait, What? Everybody Else’s Opinions on This Matter

Guess what? The people involved in this account, except presumably the judge, felt like it was a really weird ruling.

While Bundy and Jaynes did choose marriage, because they were planning on getting married one day anyway, they were not happy about not getting to plan the wedding themselves, and Jaynes didn’t even have a white dress.

Jaynes’ dad had doubts that it was legal for a judge to force his teenaged daughter into marriage to pay for a crime she didn’t even commit.

I guess it’s too late now, though, that knot has been legally tied.

(Also, with a punishment like this, are you allowed to ever get divorced? Or do you only have to remain married for 15 days? Or can you say I do then immediately say I don’t? What are the logistics required here to avoid reverting to a jail sentence?)

The Moral of the Story

Let this be a lesson to you, kids. One fight, and your whole life can be changed. In fact, if you know someone who gets into a fight, your whole life could change. So never fight, and also don’t become acquainted with people who might get in a fight.

That way, you won’t be forced into any marriages.

Ashley Shaw

Ashley Shaw is an Alabama native and current New Jersey resident. A graduate of both Kennesaw State University and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, she spends her free time reading, writing, boxing, horseback riding, playing trivia, flying helicopters, playing sports, and a whole lot else. So maybe she has too much spare time. Contact Ashley at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Need a Reason to Wed? Judge Rules “Get Married or Go to Jail” appeared first on Law Street.

Law Street is gearing up for several promotions over the next few months, and one of them is to spotlight blogger talent. To kick us off I decided to interview one of of our favorites. We’ll also be highlighting legal blogging industry front-runners and guest bloggers. Law Street is always looking to feature fresh talent! If you’d like to guest blog for us, visit the connect page and check it out! Ok. That’s my plug. On to the interview.

I had the privilege of speaking with Eric Mayer this week. Mayer pens the legal blog, “The Unwashed Advocate.”  If you haven’t read it yet, check it out. It’s honest, tongue-in-cheek, snarky, hilarious, and, well, unwashed. If you don’t believe me, just read this excerpt from the home page.

Do you have legal problems? Reading this blog will not help. In fact, it will probably make them worse, and it will definitely make you feel worse. You don’t want that. If you think you may need legal representation, find yourself a good lawyer–preferably one who is recommended by other lawyers.

Mayer isn’t a full-time blogger — he has his own practice, The Mayer Group, which provides civilian counsel for military legal issues. The Unwashed Advocate didn’t start in the conventional way. In fact, Mayer was sort of anti-blog prior to starting his own, finding that blogs have a tendency to facilitate “crappy information and writing” and were using the platform merely to increase SEO and their appearance on Google. He did, however, have things to say, and after spending six years in the Army, Mayer realized he craved a voice.

“In the army, you aren’t as free to speak your mind and my family has had a history of big mouths. I started the blog slowly then finally loosened the ropes on it,” Mayer said. His blog doesn’t preach for his practice. “I don’t over advertise, I don’t interweave the blog with my practice.”

Why is The Unwashed Advocate a blog we should watch? Not only is the writing fantastic, but Mayer has a keen opinion on blogging in the current legal market that shines through. As the legal industry changes, he has managed to create a space for himself outside of his nine-to-five career. His advice on this? Not everyone should do it in the same way. “If you don’t like writing, don’t blog.”

His mantra speaks to a common struggle for young professionals: we have a lot of available technology at our fingertips, and endless opportunities to increase our visibility in search engines, to clients, and to future employers. While self promotion is extremely important, and might help propel your career, take a page from the Unwashed Advocate’s book and make sure you’re in touch with where your talents lie and not just jumping on a bandwagon. The goal, first and foremost, should be to ensure we’re presenting ourselves in the best way possible.

xo The Capitalista

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Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

The post The Unwashed Advocate appeared first on Law Street.