Opinion ID: 1758228
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Charges Five, Six, and Seven (Ruggerio Divorce).

Text: Mrs. Jean Ruggerio testified by deposition taken at Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, that she was a life-long resident of New Jersey. She had married Dominic Ruggerio and for over ten years prior to 10 December 1963, they had resided at Stonehouse Road, Basking Ridge, New Jersey. On 10 December 1963, Mr. Ruggerio told her he had some papers from Alabama and he wanted her to sign them. He stated he wanted to go to Alabama and get a divorcethat some of his friends had gone to Alabama and gotten a divorce in a matter of a week. Mr. Ruggerio further told her he had seen a doctor and made arrangements to take a two weeks sick leave to go to Alabama to get the divorce. On the envelope in which the papers were sent was the name Sullivan, though she did not remember the first name. That night (10 December 1963) she and Mr. Ruggerio went before Harold Thompson (shown by other papers to be a notary public), and she signed the papers. Mr. Ruggerio left their home that night. About a week later Mr. Ruggerio called her at her mother's home. He said he was in Newark, and told her that things did not go in Alabama as he expected, and he wanted her to meet him at their home that night and talk things over. She went to their former home that night and Mr. Ruggerio told her he wanted her to return home, forget about everything, and start all over. However, she thought it best that they stay apart for awhile. On 1 April 1964, she called Mr. Ruggerio at their former home and a girl answered the phone. She asked what she was doing there and the girl told her she and Mr. Ruggerio planned to get married. She asked her how she could when she (Mrs. Ruggerio) had not divorced him. She called Mr. Ruggerio at his place of employment but he had left to go home. He later called her at her mother's home, and then came there. He handed her a divorce decree stating it was as legal a divorce as she could get. This decree was rendered by the Inferior Court of Geneva County on 18 January 1964, in the case of Dominic Ruggerio v. Jean Ruggerio, submitted on the complaint of Dominic Ruggerio, and the answer and waiver of Jean Ruggerio, together with an affidavit by Dominic Ruggerio to the effect that he was a bona fide resident of Montgomery, Alabama, residing at 100 Commerce Street, that Jean Ruggerio was a nonresident of Alabama and had voluntarily abandoned him in 1961. Mr. E. C. Boswell, a practicing attorney in Geneva, Alabama, testified that the Ruggerio divorce case was forwarded to him by the petitioner. Dominic Ruggerio came to Geneva on 12 December 1963. The witness did not know how long Ruggerio had been in Geneva. Perhaps the petitioner came with him but he did not remember. Jean Ruggerio, to the witness' knowledge, did not come to Alabama. The witness represented Dominic Ruggerio in the divorce proceedings. Ruggerio made an affidavit stating he was a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, and that Jean Ruggerio, his wife, had voluntarily abandoned him on 7 June 1961. Other than the affidavit, the witness made no inquiry as to Ruggerio's residence. Ruggerio gave his testimony before the Register of the Inferior Court of Geneva County on 12 December 1963, and on 18 January 1964, the divorce decree was signed by the judge of said court. Mr. Boswell did not know how long Ruggerio remained in Geneva after appearing before the Register on 12 December 1963. An affidavit of Judge William F. Thetford, Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Alabama (Montgomery County), was received in evidence. Judge Thetford deposes that he has been such judge since 1 November 1963, specifically assigned to hear domestic relations matters, including divorces. Continuously during his tenure the court dockets of said court have been current as to the processing of uncontested divorce cases. In proceedings involving a legitimate uncontested divorce, no more than a few hours, or at most one or two days, is required for disposition of such case.