VENTURA : Man Sentenced for Murder, Then Weds

There was no ring bearer, no long stroll down the aisle. The groom could not even touch the bride--except for a kiss with his hands safely secured behind his back.

But moments after a judge sentenced Ventura gang member Jerrimi Hampton to 20 years to life in prison on murder and weapons charges Wednesday, the defendant and his girlfriend were married in Superior Court as friends and relatives shed tears and armed guards kept close watch.

Tina Gonzales, 19, held the couple’s infant child as she promised to stick by her husband for better or worse.

Only minutes earlier, Superior Court Judge Charles W. Campbell Jr. had sentenced the 20-year-old Hampton to 15 years to life for the 1993 execution-style slaying of Alfonso (Sammy) Garza in a Ventura alleyway. The judge tacked on another five years--the maximum allowed under law--for use of a firearm during the commission of the crime.

Hampton was 17 when he shot the 24-year-old Garza. Prosecutors say the crime was drug-related, and the judge recommended that Hampton undergo drug counseling in prison.

Although a minor at the time of the shooting, Hampton was tried as an adult because of the nature of the crime and previous failed attempts at rehabilitation, among other factors.

Hampton, who has gang tattoos on the nape of his neck, up both arms and behind his ears, was given permission to participate in the wedding ceremony before the sentencing. The ceremony was performed by a private official.