I wanted to attend this wedding only because my daughters were so excited to be flower girls!! I am not on speaking terms with my ex-husband or his family, however, I felt I needed to be present for my children. After all, this was a big day for them, too. My plans were to sit quietly in the back of the church and leave as soon as it was over. I had no intention of "causing a scene". I am a professional lady and am always quiet and reserved. When I arrived, a family member and church member met me in the parking lot and told me I had to leave or they would call the police. Does anyone know the legality of the situation? The wedding announcement in the local newspaper said---friends and family invited. As you can tell this family has NO class and certainly no manners to speak of. Please let me have some imput....it will all be appreciated even if you express opposing views.
2006-07-08 23:56:14 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Only Texas and Illinois have applicable laws which forbid exclusion of even obnoxious relatives but only by pre-nuptual hearing. If you live in one of these states and petition the judge before hand, you can win an administative law judgment which has the power of injunction. Of course you lill need to hire baliffs to escort you to the wedding and they will need to videotape the behavior you encounter there from your hateful ex-stepson. But I imagine you wanted to do that.
If you missed the opportuniity for this legal remedy, you can file "wrongful exclusion" suit against your ex-stepson. Or you can just have pizza delivered to him that he didnt order. You can even just toilet paper his front steps- that's always fun.
You can always sue churches. For anything.
Also you might want to punish your three ungracious daughters by ruining their credit rating- just max out their credit cards and watch as they become ineligible for home loans. What else is family for?
2006-07-09 00:10:56 · answer #1 · answered by hobo_chang_bao 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hobo Chang Bao, I would be interested in knowing the law you cite for Texas. Just curious because I am unaware of such a law.
I can only answer for Texas law, and other state may have other laws. In Texas, this would come under the criminal trespass laws (Penal Code section 30.05). If you are asked to leave a property by someone acting with the apparent authority of the owner and do not, you are guilty of criminal trespass and can be arrested.
A church is a public place but it is still private property. They can exclude anyone they want for any reason they want as long as it is not one of the federal discriminatory reasons.
In this case, the correct answer might have been to take the girls home. If they are minors and you have custody and it was not a visitation weekend, you do not have to allow them to be there without you. Of course, if they are over 18, you have no say in the matter. And also, this would make you appear as petty as your ex-husband and could hurt your relationship with your daughters.
Just curious, but since it is in the past, what did you do? I hope you showed them you had more class and just left without causing a scene.
2006-07-09 08:16:20 · answer #2 · answered by Steve R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about whether it is legal or not but it comes down to a matter of choice and because they were in charge of the wedding I would think that they thn have the right to say who can and can not be there.
This then allows them to choose whether you can stay or not, and that then means that if they ask you to leave you are then required to by law I would think, and if you didn't want to cause a scene it would have been a good idea to have just left.
Yes I can understand that it would be hard to do that seeing you were there for your daughters, but you should also consider them when being asked to leave.
I do not know if this has helped or not but I hope it gives you an idea.
2006-07-09 00:05:33 · answer #3 · answered by jackocomp 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is a private affair so you must be invited. i don't think you get by on the newspaper technicality either since you are no longer related and not a friend. you did however, probably have the right to take your daughters with you (if you have custody) but you did not make a scene, they did. so far you have the high ground on this one as long as you don't make a big stink about it.
good luck
p.s. the fact that you were so closely related to the wedding party and not specifically invited should have been a hint but someone should have made it clear to you if it was not.
2006-07-09 01:49:44 · answer #4 · answered by karl k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Legally you can show up. Just because it was someone's big day, doesn't mean they can't allow others to attend the mass. Your daughters were there and you weren't causing a scene. Church is a public place, a lot of people show up to a wedding mass just to go to mass, so I honestly don't see a problem.
2006-07-09 00:19:21 · answer #5 · answered by joanna 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest you have no right to be there. and i would express their wishes on doing so, I be just happy that they hare involving you daughters. my mum and dad both went to each other wedding as they still on speking terms and get on. but no way would they have gone if they did not get on. i just leave it and let you x stepson get on with his life and enjoy their day as he not blood related to you so why you want to go, they got every right to call the police on you and to be honest i would too, why spoil someone big day just because you was married to his father first does not give you any rights in anyway to be there. At the end of the day let your daughters have their day and let your X step son have his. I bet you would not like it if it was happing to you.
2006-07-09 00:08:12 · answer #6 · answered by spin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm afraid it isn't a legallity question. You are invited or you are not... anyway would you like to be where you are not wanted and feel bad all day? Just plan something fun that day with a good mate. There are things you can't change so it's useless to spend your energy on this... Good luck!
2006-07-09 00:03:47 · answer #7 · answered by Azala 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Legally, you have no right to be their. It is their wedding after all, and if you weren'y invited, your technically gate-crashing. I doubt the law would do anythign serious, just escort you from the church..sorry.
2006-07-09 00:00:03 · answer #8 · answered by thomas p 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, you had no right to be there. You were neither friend or family. It may not be right but it is legal for them to keep you from attending.
2006-07-09 00:32:30 · answer #9 · answered by Badkitty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a public area, as long as your were not served any legal papers before hand I think you are okay.
2006-07-09 00:00:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋