A high sentence for a slice of Big Love

As noted in this post and this post, some sentencing proceedings conjure up images of the HBO series The Sopranos.  And this notable sentencing reminded me of a famed episode of HBO's dearly departed Six Feet Under.  But this story from Virginia about a sentence for the crime of bigamy has me thinking, of course, about HBO's Big Love.  Here are some details:

A 62-year-old man was sentenced to a year behind bars today on an unusual felony charge of bigamy after his two most recent wives testified his deceit had nearly wrecked their lives. Charles Edward Hicks, who has been married seven times, had pleaded guilty to marrying his sixth wife in Chesapeake while still married to his fifth in Florida — the second time two of his marriages had overlapped.

Hicks' lawyer suggested to a judge today that the dual marriages were an oversight. Hicks added that he wanted only "mutual love and admiration" but that "people don't always make it, relationships don't always work."  But a prosecutor called Hicks "predatory," and two of the women he married testified he left them deep in debt and emotionally wounded....

Bigamy carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, but the state sentencing guidelines called for straight probation for Hicks, a government computer specialist who had no prior record except minor traffic offenses.  Judge Goodwin said he decided to exceed the guidelines because of the "recklessness" with which Hicks pursued matrimony.