“It was found during a follow-up investigation with the reverend that Kristin Spearman pursuant to the scheme of obtaining a marriage certificate, convinced the reverend to certify the victim and Kristin in the Holy Union of Matrimony without the knowledge of the victim and his required presence,” the release reportedly said.
Spearman then allegedly took the certified license to the county clerk’s office, where it was filed as a “certificate of official marriage.”
Never date a crazy.
Seems like there’s a chunk missing here… What was her cock and bull story that got this approved?
So many words for what’s essentially a 2 sentence story.
What we all want to know though is: did she successfully change his name too?
This article is a mess.
Firstly, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a title. Sounds like it was a priest, minister, or pastor depending on denomination. It would be like referring to a judge as “an honourable” for an entire article.
Secondly, even if this minister pushed through the paperwork, there is no way it’s valid. Both parties have to sign the completed document at the time of the wedding itself, and it typically has to be also signed by witnesses. “Pre-signing” it would indicate it. It’s not a legally valid document.
Ironically, marriage documentation is pretty tight about the consent of both parties and witnesses to prevent women from being married off against their will.
From the article you linked:
“This has traditionally been considered incorrect on the basis that it is equivalent to referring to a judge as being an honourable or an adult man as a mister, both of which are also grammatically improper.[8][9] It is likewise incorrect to form the plural reverends. Some dictionaries,[10] however, do place the noun rather than the adjective as the word’s principal form, owing to an increasing use of the word as a noun among people with no religious background or knowledge of traditional styles of ecclesiastical address.”
I wouldn’t correct someone who dropped this in casual conversation, but I do expect more from a news source that should be employing people with a better grasp on the English language.
