UGA Professor, Finance Marry on Sidewalk During Courthouse Bomb Threat

By Grace Holland

ATHENS, Ga. — Turns out not even a bomb threat can stop true love.

Richard Gordon, a professor at the University of Georgia, and his fiancee, Lina Aguirre, planned on holding their wedding ceremony at the Athens-Clarke County courthouse Thursday afternoon.

But, when they got there, police had evacuated the building and were investigating a bomb threat. Although police didn’t find any explosives inside, the building was closed for more than four hours, leaving Gordon and Aguirre all dressed up with nowhere to go.

“We were supposed to get married at 4:15 and we were on our way when we heard there was a bomb threat. We got here and our friends were waiting for us and we didn’t know if we were gonna get to be married or not,” Gordon said.

But Gordon and Aguirre were in luck. Everyone inside the courthouse had been evacuated, including Superior Court Judge Lawton E. Stephens, who agreed to marry the couple right there on the sidewalk.

“I couldn’t imagine a better scenario. We didn’t expect the whole crowd like this. It’s pretty unique and pretty special.” Gordon said.