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Sam Penrod and Randall Jeppeson Reporting The case of a bride who says she was kidnapped by her parents is moving forward in court. Today her parents went to court to hear the charges against them, in what continues to be a family feud.
For the first time, we got an idea of the parents' side of the story in all this. It seems they felt they were trying to help their daughter make the right decision about her marriage; but prosecutors say what happened amounts to a kidnapping and the case will go forward.
Lem and Julia Redd left court, charged with kidnapping their 21-year old daughter the day before she was to be married.
Greg Skordas Defense Attorney: "They're upset they are not use to this kind of attention, they are not use to people in their lives. They are private people, good parents, people that have successfully raised their children, and so they are concerned how this affects the rest of their family."
The Redds are accused of forcing their daughter Julianna to drive with them to Grand Junction, Colorado, forcing her to miss her wedding day in August. She returned a day later and a few days later married Perry Myers anyway.
Perry's uncle and aunt attended the hearing and say the Redds were angry when Julianna decided to get married in Salt Lake and not in her family's hometown of Monticello.
Debbie Myers, Groom's Aunt: "We love him dearly and are sorry for the things he's had to go through, and especially sorry for what Julianna had to go through, she's a great girl and she didn't deserve this."
The young couple's attorney says Perry and Julianna were cheated out of what should have been the happiest day of their lives.
Randy Kester, Victim's Attorney: "It was an important day to them and there ought to be some kind of accountability. You only get a few certain days in life that you get to pick that are important, you don't get to pick when you are born or when you die, but you should get to pick when you have your wedding day."
The Redds plan to fight the charges, so whether it was a kidnapping or parent's good intentions will likely be decided by a jury.
Greg Skordas, Defense Attorney: "This is not a kidnap, there was no crime committed. These are concerned parents who felt they were exercising their rights as parents and duties as parents, and in no way did they believe or do they now believe that there was a kidnapping."
The Redds will be back in court at the end of next month. If this case goes to trial and if the parents were convicted, they could face one to 15 years in prison.
