Judge orders couple to get married, implies lesser sentence

PITTSBURGH — An Allegheny County Judge told a couple that if they got married, he may be able to “work out” a lesser sentence for the woman involved.

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Quenesia Catasphany, 27, pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment after admitting to pouring lighter fluid on her boyfriend, Andre White, and his clothing.

Catasphany, who is pregnant, has three other children with White and the couple are also taking care of a relative’s child.

White called Duquesne police in October, claiming Catasphany had accused him of having an affair and threatened to set him on fire.

According to court transcripts, Judge Joseph Williams III questioned Catasphany about why she was pleading guilty.  Catasphany replied, “It is just, like, too much going on. I don’t want to waste my time with this.”

According to court transcripts obtained by Channel 11 News, Judge Williams called White into the courtroom and asked him why the couple was not married.

The transcript reads:

"You keep together. You know, you got four babies, and you are taking care of someone else's baby, but your lives are inextricably intertwined, but she is getting trouble over your lifestyle, and now she is getting whacky because she thinks that you are not committed to her, because  -- she probably has a good reason."

The judge was referring to an incident in July 2014, when police went to a home in East Pittsburgh with an arrest warrant for White. Catasphany denied he was there but officers found White hiding in the home.

Judge Williams goes on to say:

"…she is in court because of some things that are getting kind of dysfunctional with the two of you, but it is really her being insecure about being 27 and having done probably what her parents didn't want her to do by taking the road she has taken. She isn't advancing her career. She has stairstep babies, for the most part, a guy that isn't committed to her whom she thinks is running around with other women, and now she is here in court. That's the reality I see. Why wouldn't you add some stability in her life?"

The judge told the pair to get a marriage license, and he would marry them in three days.

“…if you get married, we might be able to work this out better,” he said.

A marriage license obtained by Channel 11 indicates that the couple married on March 23, the same day as the court hearing.

Catasphany told Channel 11’s Pamela Osborne Wednesday night that she’s grateful.

“I was blessed and so grateful of all the questions I was asking myself, and it all got settled right,” she said. “I feel like that was what was supposed to happen.”

Two days after the couple wed, they welcomed baby Ali into the world.

“Every single day we’ve been looking at each other. Our breakthrough has come,” said Catasphany. “I want to thank the judge for giving us the opportunity to better our relationship. I appreciate him for speaking up for me because it was something I wasn't able to do.”

A date for Catasphany’s re-sentencing has not yet been set.

WPXI