A little-known aspect of Tennessee’s bigamy law could lead to the dismissal of charges against a man accused of being married to two women at the same time.
Former associate pastor Harold Garth gained attention early last year when authorities arrested and charged him with two counts of bigamy after evidence showed he married a woman while he still legally was married to another.
PDF: Bigamy law
But police caught him too late, according to defense attorney Alan Dunn, who is asking Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don Poole to dismiss the case.
Mr. Dunn describes in court documents how the definition of bigamy in Tennessee’s criminal legal code affects its statute of limitations, or the time frame in which authorities can prosecute people for various crimes.