Three New Jersey rabbis convicted in forced divorce scheme

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

(Reuters) - Three Orthodox Jewish rabbis were convicted in New Jersey on Tuesday of conspiracy to commit kidnapping in a scheme to force men to grant divorces to their unhappy wives under Jewish law.

Two of the rabbis were convicted as well of attempted kidnapping in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, according to the office of Paul Fishman, U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

The case before U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson hinged in part on the testimony of an undercover FBI agent who posed as an Orthodox Jewish wife seeking a divorce.

An Orthodox Jewish woman cannot get a religious divorce unless her husband consents through a document known as a "get."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/three-jersey-rabbis-convicted-forced-divorce-scheme-005829927.html

[marble falls]

1. I first learned about a 'get' watching the Sopranos about 15 years ago. This must be a real.....

racket in New Jersey!

[MosheFeingold]

2. It's a big deal, yes.

A "get" obtained via Tony Soprano (or these three idiots) is no more valid than any contract signed at the point of a gun, however, so I am not sure the point of such stupidity.

[Larry Engels]

3. From the article:

Prosecutors said the rabbis operated a ring that kidnapped or tried to kidnap men and tortured them with beatings and stun guns until they agreed to divorce.

Undercover agents recorded meetings in which arrangements were made for the ring to kidnap one husband at a New Jersey warehouse for $60,000, prosecutors said.

Only in New Jersey!

[dembotoz]

4. and they wonder how religion get a bad name

[brooklynite]

5. Of course, this idiotic behavior wouldn't have happened...

...if people didn't believe in the idiotic religious edict that caused it.

The parties were free to get a civil divorce and free to remarry. If "god" doesn't approve, maybe that's the bigger issue.