Bradley D. Armstrong, a 66-year-old La Porte, Indiana man listed on the state’s sex and violent offender registry, was arrested at the La Porte County Courthouse on March 17, 2026, just before his wedding ceremony was set to begin. The Bradley Armstrong wedding-day arrest was based on a felony charge that he lied on his marriage license application by failing to disclose his status as a lifetime sex offender.1WSBT. Groom Arrested on Wedding Day for Falsifying Marriage Application Days later, the county clerk opened a separate civil fight to stop the marriage from happening at all, citing a 2021 court finding that his 22-year-old fiancée is legally incompetent.2People. Court Seeks to Block Sex Offender From Marrying 22-Year-Old Declared Legally Incompetent
Why Armstrong Was Charged
Indiana law bars a county clerk from issuing a marriage license to a lifetime sex or violent offender unless that applicant submits a sworn affidavit confirming they have given written notice of the intended marriage, and their intended married name, to law enforcement in both the county of conviction and the county of residence.3Justia Law. Indiana Code § 31-11-4-11 Prosecutors allege Armstrong denied being on the registry when he applied for his license.
A warrant issued on March 16, 2026 charged him with false information on a marriage license application, a Level 6 felony.4People. Groom Arrested Moments Before Wedding on Suspicion of Falsifying Marriage Application Officers served it on him at the courthouse the next morning. He was booked into the La Porte County Jail on $755 cash bail and released on bond the following day.5Yahoo News. Groom Arrested Moments Before Wedding on Suspicion of Falsifying Application He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Armstrong’s Prior Conviction and Registry Status
Armstrong was convicted of child molesting in La Porte County in May 2002 and received a seven-year sentence, suspended, with seven years of probation.5Yahoo News. Groom Arrested Moments Before Wedding on Suspicion of Falsifying Application He was placed on Indiana’s Sex and Violent Offender Registry in March 2004 and classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation Indiana applies to people found to have a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes them likely to repeatedly commit sex offenses.6Justia Law. Indiana Code § 35-38-1-7.5 The classification carries a lifetime registration requirement.7Justia Law. Indiana Code Title 11, Article 8, Chapter 8
The Clerk’s Motion to Stop the Marriage
La Porte County Clerk Heather Stevens filed a motion in La Porte Circuit Court asking a judge to block the marriage outright. Armstrong’s fiancée was declared legally incompetent by a court in 2021, and her parents were appointed as her legal guardians.2People. Court Seeks to Block Sex Offender From Marrying 22-Year-Old Declared Legally Incompetent At the time of the arrest she was reportedly 10 weeks pregnant with Armstrong’s child.8South Bend Tribune. LaPorte Clerk Challenges Sex Offender’s Wedding to Handicapped Woman
Stevens pointed to Indiana law barring clerks from issuing marriage licenses to anyone who has been legally judged incompetent. She also invoked her role as an officer of the court, calling the court a “superior guardian” with authority to override decisions by a protected person’s guardians when those decisions are not in the person’s best interest.9WSBT. Court Action Taken to Prevent Marriage to Sex Offender Her office said it would not issue the license while the court weighs the question.
Where the Cases Stand
Judge Julianne Havens heard the clerk’s motion on March 30, 2026 and took it under advisement, setting a follow-up hearing for May 2026 to address the guardianship.8South Bend Tribune. LaPorte Clerk Challenges Sex Offender’s Wedding to Handicapped Woman2People. Court Seeks to Block Sex Offender From Marrying 22-Year-Old Declared Legally Incompetent No ruling from that hearing has been made public, and the felony charge over the marriage application also remains open.