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Atheist Sentenced for Contempt of Court in Case Involving Judaism

July 24, 1964
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A militant atheist who led the fight against school prayers which ended in a Supreme Court ban was sentenced in absentia here yesterday to a prison term and fine on a contempt of court charge involving a Jewish girl her son later married.

Mrs. Madalyn Murray was sentenced to one year in prison and fined $500 and her son, William, 18, was sentenced to six months in the case. They were convicted on charges of disobeying a court order forbidding the Murrays to see the former Susan Abramovitz; The girl’s parents had complained that Mrs. Murray and her son were leading their daughter away from her home and from Judaism.

Two weeks after the order was issued on June 2, William married the girl and, with his mother, went to Hawaii. The three went to Hawaii after they were charged with assaulting policemen who went to the Murray home here to pick up the girl. The Murrays are fighting an extradition order for their return to Baltimore.

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