Judge grants divorce

Sitting attentively on the witness stand inside a Charleston County courtroom, first lady Jenny Sanford retold the story so many have heard before.

A year ago, she found a letter indicating her husband, Gov. Mark Sanford, had been unfaithful. He admitted it, and they tried to reconcile. After a public spectacle in June, the two ultimately agreed they could not work things out.

And so ended not just a marriage but a powerful political partnership that helped usher a little-known Charleston businessman into the halls of Congress and then into eight years as

South Carolina's governor.

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Sanfords' divorce granted

Jenny Sanford appeared in court in Charleston Friday for the dissolution of her 20-year marriage to Gov. Mark Sanford. The divorce will be final in mid-March.

See our special section on Governor Mark Sanford

Family Court Judge Jocelyn Cate said Friday she will grant their divorce, though it won't become official until mid-March -- 90 days after the divorce was filed.

Jenny Sanford was more than a smiling spouse for her husband. She ran his campaigns and was part of his inner circle as his political profile rose.

There was even talk of Sanford as a 2012 presidential contender, but that ended abruptly on June 24, when the governor was spotted in the Atlanta airport after a five-day absence. His staff had said he was hiking the Appalachian Trial, but Sanford soon admitted an extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina.

The first lady filed for divorce in December on grounds of adultery, and the governor did not contest it.

Jenny Sanford testified that she first learned of his affair when she discovered a letter. As they worked to reconcile, they agreed that he would have no further contact with the other woman, Maria Belen Chapur, except for a dinner meeting that was chaperoned. Sanford's infamous June trip to Argentina broke that deal.

Friday's divorce hearing began at 10:50 a.m., 10 minutes before its scheduled start. Plans to televise it live had to be scrubbed because the request arrived Thursday afternoon, not in time to make preparations for running the necessary cable, Charleston County Clerk of Court Julie Armstrong said.

The governor did not attend but was represented by two attorneys.

He released a statement minutes after the hearing, saying he takes "full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point. Jenny is a great person, and has been a remarkable wife, mother and First Lady. While our family structure may change, I know that we will both work earnestly to be the best mom and dad we can be to four of the finest boys on earth."

Sanford asked the press to respect their mutual desire for privacy. "We respectively ask for your prayers," he added.

Jenny Sanford was the only person to take the witness stand. She testified for fewer than 10 minutes, briefly recapping the known facts of the governor's infidelity and expressing her approval of their plan for dividing their assets and handling the custody of their four sons.

She also asked the judge to seal the records in her case, saying that their disclosure would further harm the couple's children.

"Their world has been turned upside down," she said. "More information for children to talk about at school is not what they need at this point."

The first lady recently finished a book tour promoting "Staying True," her account of the couple's marriage and its unraveling.

She mentioned the book to Cate while explaining why she wanted the court records sealed, saying, "I did not put anything in my book that my children weren't already aware of." She said her children are not aware of some details in the agreement.

Cate said she would take that request under advisement as she considered balancing Jenny Sanford's request for privacy with the public's right to access court documents. Until Cate rules, the records will remain sealed.

The lightest moment in the trial came when the judge asked Jenny Sanford if she was expecting any more children with the governor. "Oh, gosh no!" she replied.

Another odd moment occurred when the judge asked whether the defendant in the case, Gov. Sanford, had been a resident of the state of South Carolina three months before the divorce was filed.

Mostly, Jenny Sanford provided one- or two-word answers to a routine series of questions asked in most uncontested divorce hearings.

While more than a dozen television cameras and media members waited outside, the courtroom itself was not full. The 30 onlookers included media, court employees and others awaiting their own uncontested divorce hearings immediately after the Sanford case.

Sanford is the first sitting South Carolina governor to divorce. In January, he also became the first governor censured by state lawmakers.

Professor Lacy Ford, chairman of the University of South Carolina's history department, said Sanford's unpopularity among Republican lawmakers here probably meant he had no real chance of becoming a decisive player in national politics, but his affair and divorce ended whatever chance there had been.

As for Friday's hearing, Ford said, "It just kind of puts a period at the end of a story of the disintegration of the Sanford governorship. I don't know that it has a cosmic significance other than that."

Jenny Sanford spoke briefly with reporters in the lobby of the judicial center afterward and told them that she plans to remain on Sullivan's Island and work amicably with her ex-husband to raise their sons.

"Today is the end of a 20-year marriage," she said. "It's not cause for celebration, but it's the beginning of a new chapter for me and for our children and hopefully for some healing in a new form. Our family will be in a different shape, but there's no reason in the world why we can't raise our boys to be the best they can be."

Some have speculated that Jenny Sanford might have a political future of her own, and a recent statewide poll found that about 55 percent regard her favorably while only 10 percent rated her unfavorably.

When asked what's next, she replied, "I don't know. We'll see."