Judge Officiates Wedding of Man After Sentencing Him for Murder But Won't Let Him Cut Wedding Cake

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Michele Zipp 2 hours ago

I'm one of those hopeless romantics who believes in love and marriage even when there is divorce and relationship destruction all around me. Love is real! Love is good! Love is LOVE! I also think everyone who wants to get married should be able to get married -- as long as you are in love and not up to some no good scam. Je deteste scammers! (In a French accent everything sounds better, even hate, which is not the opposite of love, by the way -- that's indifference, and you'd know that if you were smart or like the Lumineers song "Stubborn Love.")

Prisoners deserve love and marriage too, I suppose. Even the murdering kind. Though I'm not feeling so lovely after writing that. A judge in San Diego thought so and not only sentenced one man to prison for 53 years for murder, but she married him moments after her gavel hit the wood essentially sentencing his new wife as well. This judge was so sweet she even baked the couple their wedding cake.

Danne Desbrow is the murderer/groom. He's a 36-year-old man who was sentenced for killing Kevin Santos back in 2003. The case was unsolved until now. Desbrow claimed self-defense.

The bride's name is (wait for it) ... Destiny, who had Desbrow's baby 10 years ago, which is around the same time he did the murdering! Destiny was only 16 at the time, and if you thought this story couldn't get stranger, it does. Destiny and Desbrow lost touch after their babymaking and she tracked him down by social media in January to tell him about their son. And they clearly fell in L-O-V-E big time. The murdering groom proposed during the trial and sweet Destiny asked the judge, the Honorable Patricia Cookson, to perform the sacred union.

Yes! She said! And Judge Cookson also baked them a wedding cake (a lovely frosted vanilla bundt, it was reported) though she wouldn't let them cut it since that involves a knife and every smart judge knows not to give a murderer a knife. The groom wore shackles and his jail-issued greens. The bride wore white lace.

I guess a proper honeymoon is out of the question. Perhaps a nice little conjugal visit is in order.

I'm thankful same sex marriage is legal in California where this beautiful ceremony occurred because I do believe that all people in love should be able to be married. Even convicted murderers. Desbrow has asked for an appeal.

Do you think the judge should have married these two?

Image via Ewan Roberts/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michele Zipp

loves vintage and will defend skinny jeans to the death though she is highly superstitious and "death" is probably a bad word choice. She has a touch of the hoarding disease and enjoys sleuthing, the worst reality shows, and wearing high heels, even at the playground. She's an AP mom of twins, slightly crunchy but with a pedicure.

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