Prattville minister pleads guilty in same sex marriage case

PRATTVILLE – A Prattville Unitarian minister, arrested on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge in February for trying to marry a same sex couple, pleaded guilty to the charge Monday morning in Autauga County Circuit Court.

Anne Susan DiPrizio, 44, of the 300 block of Cambridge Street, entered the plea before Judge Ben Fuller, but not before some delays and judicial wrangling. He gave her 30 days in the Autauga Metro Jail, and then suspended the sentence in place of 6 months unsupervised probation. Fuller also ordered her to pay a $250 fine and other associated court costs.

On Feb. 10, DiPrizio offered to marry a lesbian couple inside the Autauga County Probate Office. The couple had received their marriage license just a few minutes before.

Probate Judge Al Booth had halted all marriage ceremonies in the office the day before. DiPrizio refused to leave the office after sheriff's deputies were called and she was charged with disorderly conduct, court records show. She spent about three hours in the Autauga Metro Jail that day before posting a bond of $1,000, jail records show.

"I'm glad this is over and we can put this behind us," DiPrizio said after the sometimes confusing process was complete Monday.

An apparent plea deal was agreed to before the bench trial began. When Fuller pronounced the 30 day suspended jail sentence the first go round, DiPrizio balked.

"That's not what we agreed to, we said no suspended 30 day sentence," she said.

Fuller withdrew the plea agreement and told Desirae Lewis, the assistant district attorney handling the case to prepare to call her witnesses. During the break prosecutors huddled with DiPrizio, who was representing herself, and tried to clear up any confusion on the sentence.

Fuller came back to the courtroom and second time, handing down the sentence and DiPrizio interrupted him when he was talking about the fine.

"Can I ask a question?" she said to Fuller.

"When I'm done!" a visibly angered Fuller said with a raised voice. "We are here to take a misdemeanor plea. I don't know if you think this is a game. If you do, you can learn differently very quickly."

When Fuller finished informing DiPrizio of the conditions of the unsupervised probation, he asked if she had any questions.

"I heard a six month sentence," she said.

"Your sentence is 30 days in the county jail, that sentence is suspended and the court is ordering you to serve six months unsupervised probation," Fuller said. "You can serve your sentence if you don't want the six months unsupervised probation."

DiPrizio agreed to the unsupervised probation and the proceeding closed. Lewis too expressed relief after it was over. She said DiPrizio may have been confused by court procedure.

"It took a little longer than I was expecting for a misdemeanor plea, but I'm glad it's behind us," Lewis said. "No one wanted to see Mrs. DiPrizio serving any jail time."

DiPrizio's arrest came in the midst of controversy over same sex marriage being allowed in Alabama. Her arrest garnered national and international media attention.

Usually misdemeanor cases are heard in Autauga District Court. Fuller took the case after District Judge Joy Booth recussed herself. She is Probate Judge Al Booth's daughter-in-law.