School Teacher Marries Student To Avoid Jail Time

How wild does this sound? A teacher avoids prison time by marrying the 15 year old student she had sex with. This doesn't sound right. Leah  Shipman 42, married Johnnie Ison 15, two years after she was arrested for having sex with him. Under North Carolina law a defendant's spouse cannot be made to testify in criminal cases.

Now that the boy is 19 years old he doesn't have to give evidence against Shipman.

Reported by nydailynews.com

Brunswick County Assistant District Attorney Gina Essey reportedly said:

'None of the statements made in this case would be admissible without the victim. The defendant has a Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against them.'

Leah Shipman was facing up to 15 years in prison for statutory rape during her wedding. Not only did the boys mom allow her son to get married who was still a minor at the time but the marriage came 6 days after she divorced her husband of 19 years.