Quickie divorce in state not as easy as this guy thought

By Cy Ryan

Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.

A professor at a university in South Korea has learned you can’t get a quickie divorce in Nevada merely by living here six weeks.

The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that at least one of the parties must demonstrate he was a resident for at least six weeks prior to filing for divorce.

And that individual “must prove residency by clear and convincing evidence, demonstrating both actual physical presence and intent to reside indefinitely and permanently in Nevada,” the court said.

“Locating to the state for the sole purpose of obtaining a divorce” falls short of that standard, the court ruled.

Sungdo David Hong and his wife, Jungsun, were married in the United States and then returned to South Korea. In South Korea both spouses must consent to a divorce and Jungsun will not agree.

So Sungdo moved to Reno on March 5, 2005, rented an apartment, established telephone and Internet service and opened a checking account.

But he took onlya leave from his job as a child psychiatrist and medical professor at Samsung Medical Center at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. He moved back to South Korea on April 21, 2005.

Washoe District Judge Frances Doherty ruled she did not have jurisdiction over the case because Sungdo had not established residency under the law. The Supreme Court upheld her decision.

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A company hopes to convert five “ragged” acres at the state prison in Carson City into an organic farm, with the produce sold to the public.

Hungry Mother Organics has proposed a three-year lease with the state to start growing produce such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and lettuce on the prison’s property.

“We’re going to reclaim that land,” said Mark O’Farrell, the organics company’s owner.

The state Board of Examiners will consider approving the lease next month.

If the lease is approved, about eight inmates would work in the prison’s existing compost and proposed organic vegetable farm. Hungry Mother Organics would pay the state $90,000 over the three years for the lease and inmate labor.

The proposed farm is only one of the unusual programs run by the prison to help train inmates while generating money for the prison system.

This month the prison auctioned 16 wild horses tamed by inmates. The sale brought in an estimated $1,000 per animal, with $2,300 the highest amount paid for one of the mustangs.

Since the Wild Horse Gentling Program was started in 2001, about 300 horses have been auctioned for prices ranging from $125 to $4,200.

Twenty minimum-security prisoners help tame the wild horses. Tim Bryan, supervisor of the prison industry ranch, said in addition to training the inmates, the program provides them with “nontangible benefits (such as) patience, anger management and work ethic.”

Hank Curry, who runs the horse taming program, said six inmates “made a career out of this” after their release.