Oakland Tennessee Mayor Resigns Amidst Bigamy Scandal

Oakland Tennessee’s Mayor has resigned. The reason for his resignation? The former Church of Christ pastor was allegedly married to two women simultaneously. Bigamy is considered to be a criminal offense against the family.

Former Oakland Mayor (right) pictured with Eric Mathews of Launch Your City and EmergeMemphis in February 2013.

Before tendering his resignation and without admitting to a bigamous marriage, the mayor voiced his regrets:

“In my personal life I have displayed dishonesty and I have not been true to my wife. When I do wrong a part of my responsibility to God and to them is to confess my wrong and be right, and to bring forth the fruits and the evidence of the sorrow in my heart.”

On March 6, Oakland’s Board of Aldermen accepted the Mayor’s resignation and held a swearing-in ceremony for the vice mayor. Chris Goodman is now the new mayor of this community which boasts a population of about 6,700, located east of Memphis and northeast of both Germantown and Collierville. The fall-out for former mayor, however, has just begun.

Be My Valentine: Marriage #2 in West Memphis TN

Several news sources reported that a marriage certificate shows that the 33-year-old Mayor and Miguelina Mora (wife #2) were married on Valentine’s Day 2013 in a West Memphis ceremony. Other evidence, however, indicates that his marriage to wife #2 may have taken place in Arkansas.

Any married individual who knowingly marries someone else (even if he or she is party to a divorce which is not yet final) risks prosecution for bigamy, which is a Class A misdemeanor in Tennessee. This case, however, involves potential bigamy charges under the laws of a neighboring state as well. The Crittenden County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Department is investigating the possibility of misdemeanor bigamy charges against the former Oakland mayor.

Wife #2 Seeks Annulment

With the purported second marriage only a few weeks old, wife #2 is seeking an annulment and alimony. In her complaint, she claims he married her under false pretenses given that he was currently married and the father of four children at the time.

For more information about the grounds for annulment in lieu of divorce, take a moment to read Seeking a Marriage Annulment in Tennessee.