Sunday, May 17, 2009

Judge Says Defendant Nun Can Wear Habit During Her Jury Trial

A Kane County, Illinois judge has ruled that Sister Marie Marot can wear her religious habit when she stands trial on a traffic ticket on Monday. Friday's Arlington Heights (IL) Daily Herald reports that the 24-year old nun is charged with disobeying a traffic control device in connection with a 2007 auto accident in which she drove her van through a traffic light and struck a smaller car car whose 16-year old back-seat passenger was killed in the crash. Prosecutors argued that Marot's religious garb might prejudice the jury in her favor, but defense attorneys say that her religious beliefs require her to wear the habit-- a tunic and veil.

UPDATE: On May 19, a jury found Sister Marie Marot not guilty. (Sun Times News Group.)