Flds- Court Hearings & Convictions

[mollymalone]

http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/category/kelly-fischer/
Despite the pleadings of several friends and family, Kelly Fischer has been sentence to 45 days in jail, 3 years of probation, and he must register as a sex offender. Letters were written to the court by friends and family asking for leniency, and specifically no jail time. Judge Steven Conn had the option of giving Fischer up to two years in jail.

A jury found Kelly Fischer guilty of having sex with a minor and conspiracy in an Arizona courtroom today. As the verdict was read, Fischer sat still, visibly clenching his jaw. The trial weighed on testimony from witnesses Issac Wyler and Richard Holm, according to the jury foreman.

Interestingly, there was no victim present in court. The minor Fischer had sex with was nowhere to be found. Neither were his other wives. Leaving the courtroom, Fischer was of few words. “You guys are like flies,” he said"

[mollymalone]

First Trial of the Eight Polygamists Start
July 17, 2006
http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/category/kelly-fischer/
Mr. Fischer is owner of Cozy Log Homes, and ATI Construction, both Nevada businesses. Cozy was moved from Hildale to Mesquite shortly after the UEP was taken out of the hands of Colorado City/Hildale leadership.

Mr. Fischer, along with 7 other men were indicted in a sweeping dragnet that included the prophet of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs. Charges against the eight included sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. Mr. Fischer turned himself in to authorities and currently is awaiting trial.

[mollymalone]

Another of the eight charged:

http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/category/law-enforcement/
A member of a polygamist sect who pleaded no contest to a child abuse charge for taking an underage wife has been sentenced to one day in jail and three years probation.

Colorado City resident Vergel Jessop will also have to register as a sex offender during his probation. County prosecutors say the judge in Mohave County spared him additional jail time yesterday because his wife has significant medical problems.

Jessop had been charged in August 2005 with sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. He pleaded no contest to the lesser charge in December.

[mollymalone]

http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/cate...w-enforcement/

The Bench Trial of Randy Barlow set for Feb. 27th was dismissed after the victim refused to testify.

Charges against Randolph Barlow were dismissed when the witness refused to take the stand for the second time.Candi Shapley had words with County Attorney Matt Smith outside the courtroom before the trial. She refused to testify. Smith said he could not make his case without Shapley’s cooperation telling the judge, “I am absolutely convinced that she will not testify… She is adamant that she is not going to answer questions.” Shapley was held in contempt when she did not testify at the last hearing. For two weeks she was confined to a shelter for battered and abused women. Smith said he would not seek contempt charges against her again.

[mollymalone]

http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/category/law-enforcement/

The United States Supreme Court will not hear the appeal of Rodney Holm, a former Hildale police officer convicted of taking a child bride.

The justices declined, without comment, to review the appeal of his conviction of bigamy and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

[mollymalone]

http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/category/law-enforcement/
October 25, 2006
A Jury found David Bateman guilty of Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Conduct with a Minor, both class 6 felonies. Sentencing has been set in Judge Chavez’s Court for November 29, 2006, at 2:00 p.m.

Mr. Bateman could receive from 4 months up to 2 years in prison or probation with no jail to 1 year straight time in Jail.

[mollymalone]

http://nvpolygamy.wordpress.com/category/law-enforcement/

When I posed the question as to whether we could decertify the entire department I was told Arizona can only decertify one officer at a time. There are plenty more to take their place.

When you realize that this department has access to the same supposed secure and confidential information as any other professional law enforcement agency it is frightening. Their department has even been awarded homeland security grants for equipment such as satellite phones. Combine these with high tech weapons and you start to understand the tremendous and frightening power that is exerted over the people of Colorado City, especially women and children.
It’s time for the Federal government to pull their heads out of the sand, quit sitting on their hands and start processing the RICO Act against the FLDS organization.”

[mollymalone]

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660200030,00.html
Warren Jeffs and other top leaders in the FLDS have been ordered to pay $8. million in a lawsuit accusing them of fleecing the church’s financial empire.

A judge in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court on Thursday ordered Jeffs and other trustees of the UEP to pay up after they failed to respond to a lawsuit Wisan filed, alleging the original UEP trustees misappropriated property, engaged in misconduct and tried to interfere with his job. In 2005, the courts took control of the UEP Trust amid allegations that Jeffs and others had been fleecing it. Judge Denise Lindberg recently reformed the trust and allowed Wisan to collect damages for attorney's fees, fiduciary fees, loss of property and equipment that disappeared in the polygamous border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.

The UEP Trust is land rich but cash poor. Its assets, estimated at about $110 million, are mostly tied up in land. Whatever cash the UEP had has disappeared, and so have the trustees. "Assets have been shifted.

[mollymalone]

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:392313
Yet another relative of the fugitive polygamist "prophet" Warren Jeffs – head of the Mormon off-shoot sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – has been jailed for contempt of court in connection with the federal grand jury investigation of the FLDS, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.

"Benjamin Jeffs Nielsen, 25, Jeffs' nephew, was booked into a federal detention center in Arizona last month, the daily reports – he joins five others, including Jeffs' older brother Leroy, each of whom have refused to testify as part of the ongoing grand jury probe.
Until recently, the Tribune reports, Nielsen was living on FLDS property in Mancos, Colo., serving as "caretaker" for properties that, on paper at least, are owned by David Steed Allred – a high-ranking FLDS member"

[mollymalone]

http://www.custercountynews.com/index.php?category=1&article=755&issue_id=48

Barlow, who was one of eight men prosecuted two years ago in Arizona for having fathered a child with an underage girl, is living in Arizona. He pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with that minor and a second charge was dropped. He cannot leave the state without permission

[mollymalone]

In South Dakota, the legal age to marry is 18. If the person is between 16 and 18, they need a notarized statement of consent to marry from a parent or legal guardian. This must be presented to the county register of deeds when they apply for a marriage license. Custer County register of deeds office has had no such application in the last five years. A person younger than 16 is not allowed to marry, even with parents’ consent.

[mollymalone]

http://blogs.sltrib.com/plurallife/labels/Rodney%20Holm.htm

Extortion plot and blackmail attempt between FLDS members
in the Ruth Stubbs - vs Rodney Holmes case.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy126.html
Colorado City police officer Rodney Holm was convicted on August 14 of three felony counts of bigamy and sexual misconduct with a minor in nearby St. George, Utah.

"Ruth appeared to be sticking to her commitment to help Holm stay out of jail. She failed to appear for Holm's preliminary hearing last December -- which led to the dismissal of a bigamy charge the state had filed against her sister, Suzie, for pressuring Ruth to marry Holm. Her absence also prevented Utah authorities from obtaining sworn testimony they planned to use to file a felony charge against Warren Jeffs for conducting her spiritual marriage ceremony. That charge can no longer be filed because the statute of limitations has expired on the commission of the alleged crime.

"FLDS elders were pressuring her not to cooperate. But she did appear, and the chamber was packed to overflow capacity in Utah Fifth Judicial Judge G. Rand Beachum's court. Many of the seats were occupied by stern-faced FLDS members -- in an obvious message to the jury, and to Ruth Stubbs. FLDS women -- wearing dowdy clothes, no makeup and their hair pulled back in tight braids -- sat next to their husbands. During breaks in the proceedings, the men directed the females around the courthouse complex with mere nods and flicks of their fingers. But the FLDS' hope that Ruth would fall into line like any loyal fundamentalist wife, taught to obey men without question, was dashed when Ruth walked into the courtroom. She had tossed aside any remnant of the strict FLDS dress code, and strutted to the witness stand wearing a tight, white-knit blouse and clingy blue jeans.

The state's ploy was to establish that Ruth had been victimized by a man twice her age intent on stealing her virginity. And her mostly yes-and-no answers, coupled with her lack of education and young-girl demeanor, were enough to convict Holm of bigamy and the two counts of sexual misconduct charges leveled against him. Each of the three counts is punishable by up to five years in prison.

[mollymalone]

Rodney Holm's conviction has put the spotlight on whether disciplinary action should be taken against other members of the nine-man Colorado City police department for ignoring Holm's sexual relationship with a minor.

"the department has already lost its right to perform law enforcement duties in the state because members failed to keep up with continuing education requirements. Groll said he will now ask the Utah Attorney General's Office whether a formal investigation should be launched against the department."

"Because of his felony convictions, Holm obviously is unlikely ever to regain his peace-officer certification, but Shurtleff said, "The rest of [the members of the police department also] ought to be done, decertified."

"Arizona law enforcement certification officials are waiting to see what action Utah takes against the Colorado City department. If Utah permanently revokes officer certification for the department's failure to protect Ruth Stubbs, Arizona may also take action, said Arizona POST director Tom Hammerstrom."

[mollymalone]

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/7448/LEGAL/family/index.htm

Police arrested Holm on charges of bigamy and sex with a minor to whom he was not legally married. The arrest followed his admission in a custody lawsuit that, at age 32, he impregnated 16-year-old Ruth Stubbs, his common-law “spiritual wife,” who is the younger sister of Holm’s first and only lawful wife, Suzie Stubbs Holm. Besides the legal marriage to Suzie and the “spiritual marriage” to Ruth, Holm had another common-law “spiritual wife.” He has 21 children by the three women.

In a notarized affidavit filed in the custody case, Ruth said: “At the age of 16, I was pressured to marry Rodney H. Holm, under the rule of the [FLDS] church. Since that time, I have lived in a controlling and abusive environment common in the community. The ‘sister-wives’ were physically and emotionally abusive to both myself and my children. I have scars on my face from one beating. Children were beaten and locked in rooms. On several occasions, younger children would be smothered by one of the mothers until they choked or gasped for air. …I was required to work and leave my children with the other 18 in the care of the other two mothers.”

In August 2003, a jury convicted Holm on all charges. The judge sentenced him to up to five years in the Utah State Prison on each of the three counts, to be served concurrently. But he allowed Holm to serve three years’ probation and one year of incarceration in Purgatory Correctional Facility, with daily travel to his job—he has been reassigned to the public works department—under a work release program.

In January 2004 the Utah Supreme Court denied Holm’s request that he be released from jail pending the appeal. By mid-2004, Holm had completed his prison sentence.

[mollymalone]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-polygamyenclave-12may1206,1,5037331,full.story
Jim McGhee, attorney for Dan Barlow Jr., was stunned by his client's 13-day sentence. "I saw it as a victory, but the fact that he spent 13 days in jail for molesting five daughters is pretty amazing," he said. "The fact that the judge went along with it is one of the most surprising things."

Mohave County Superior Court Judge Richard Weiss, who presided over the case, said it was really just "a little bit of breast touching."

"If the county attorney had brought in a sociologist who said this was a big issue up there, it may have made a difference," he said. "The lesson for me is I only see the tip of the iceberg here."

[mollymalone]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-polygamyenclave-12may1206,1,5037331,full.story

"In another case, Weiss sentenced Joshua Johnson of Colorado City to 120 days in jail for molesting a 4-year-old girl. Johnson did 30 days behind bars and the rest on electronic monitoring.

The case came to light only after the girl's father beat Johnson with a club at a restaurant. He did it, he told Weiss, to keep the matter from "being swept under the rug." Earlier, an FLDS-run clinic had claimed his daughter's injuries came from a playground accident.
Weiss sentenced the vengeful father to 120 days as well.

During the father's sentencing proceedings, Judge Weiss was told that Johnson may have molested the man's daughter more times than he admitted in court.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy126.html
Utah birth certificates show that Jeffs, 47, conceived children with at least two girls under the age of 18 -- making him vulnerable to felony sexual-misconduct-with-a-minor charges.

[mollymalone]

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/19444/warren-jeffs-67The polygamous sect leader is still facing criminal charges in Arizona, and a federal grand jury in Utah has indicted him on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, stemming from his time on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

In Arizona, Jeffs is facing charges of sexual conduct with a minor, conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor, sexual conduct with a minor as an accomplice, and incest as an accomplice. The indictments accuse Jeffs of performing more child-bride marriages. At least one of Mohave County’s cases against Jeffs has been on shaky ground since one alleged child bride refused to testify against her former husband. It led to the dismissal of criminal charges against him. However, Engels said he is confident in the investigations. “Our cases are a little different,” he said, declining to elaborate

IMeanwhile, more criminal cases could be stacking up against the FLDS leader. The Utah Attorney General’s Office has been investigating Jeffs and the FLDS Church for financial crimes related to the UEP Trust. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has told the Deseret Morning News he would like to see the evidence seized by the FBI as part of an organized crime probe.

n Arizona, Jeffs could make bail but is not expected to get out of jail anytime soon. “We do have a detainer based on our federal indictment,” said Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for Utah.Jeffs, 51, is facing a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. If convicted on that charge, he faces up to five years in federal prison.“We’re working on the evidence that we have,” Rydalch said.

[mollymalone]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1665547,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics
"After two and a half days of deliberation and the replacement of one juror, they found that Jeffs did "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly solicit, request, command or encourage" a 19-year-old follower to rape his 14-year-old bride at least twice. Jeffs will now face from five years to life in prison on both counts."

"She had flirted and enticed her husband, Bugden said. It was an old, familiar tactic in rape cases. But prosecutor Brock Belnap won the day by arguing that what Jeffs did by urging the two to "go forth and multiply" was no different from sacrificing a young virgin for the harvest — a religious belief, but a criminal act. "This trial has not been about religion and a vendetta," Walls said on the courthouse steps after the verdict. "It is simply about child abuse."

"

[mollymalone]

Two of Tom Green's wives were from Colorado City, AZ.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/07/polygamist.ap/index.html
A Utah polygamist was released from prison Tuesday after serving six years on a child rape conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl who is now his only legal wife.

"Green, 59, was convicted in 2001 of child rape for having sex in 1986 with Linda Kuhn, who was 13 at the time and became his first wife.

Green was also convicted of bigamy, a charge resulting, in part, from several appearances he made on TV talk shows promoting polygamy. Green claimed four other wives whom he married in religious ceremonies. He was also convicted of criminal nonsupport for getting thousands of dollars in state welfare payments to support his many children.

He was sentenced to 5 years to life in prison. Among the conditions for his release are that Green complete counseling and register as a sex offender."

[mollymalone]

http://www.courttv.com/trials/jeffs/092607_steeds_ctv.html

A day after polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs was convicted of rape as an accomplice for forcing a 14-year-old girl to marry her older cousin and have sex with him, the woman's ex-husband has been charged with rape. Allen Steed, 26, was charged with one count of rape in Washington County, Utah, for having sex with Elissa Wall after their arranged wedding in 2001.

Steed, a truck driver who has not remarried since Wall left the FLDS community in 2004 with another man, testified for the defense that he never raped his wife. He claimed that his wife initiated their first sexual encounter, and that the use of force is forbidden in the FLDS. The rape charge carries a sentence of five years to life. Speaking after the verdict Tuesday, jurors said that Steed's credibility was compromised by discrepancies in testimony.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy750.htm
former teen bride wants to expand her lawsuit against polygamous leader Warren S. Jeffs and his sect's communal property trust for her unlawful marriage and subsequent rape.

In an amended complaint filed Monday in 3rd District Court, Elissa Wall alleges that Jeffs, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, trustees and participants in its United Effort Plan Trust all knew about such illegal marriages but did nothing to stop them. As part of a "calculated plan," Wall said Allen Steed, her former husband, was able to sexually abuse her.

Wall, who is seeking unspecified damages, initially filed the lawsuit under the pseudonym "M.J." in Iron County. It was transferred to Salt Lake City last month. An early effort to settle the lawsuit failed. In her settlement offer, Wall sought property and $1 million to set up a fund for those leaving the sect. Wall argues that the church and trust are inseparable and the trust existed only to advance the church's goals, which have long supported underage and arranged marriages. Sect members knew such marriages occurred and backed them by upholding a revision of the trust in 1998 during a general church meeting, her claim states.

Wisan said if she succeeds, Wall will decimate the trust and pave the way for other teen brides to make similar claims.

[mollymalone]

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/apr/17/live-from-the-courthouse-updates-ON-FLDS-CUSTODY/
:25 p.m. - A child's attorney asks the testifying CPS supervisor whether any of the children had broken bones, injuries or malnutrition that showed up in medical examinations. "There were some suspected broken bones," the CPS supervisor said.

Can you identify any households in which a child was caused serious injury or death? the attorney says. Yes, the CPS supervisor says.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy802.html

The first man arrested at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado is the oldest son of FLDS leader Warren S. Jeffs, according to former members of the sect.

On Monday, law officers arrested Levi Barlow Jeffs, 19, for interfering with the duties of a public servant, a class B misdemeanor. He was booked into jail but was released after posting bail.

A second man was arrested at the YFZ Ranch Monday night and booked him into the Schleicher County Jail. Leroy Johnson Steed, 41, was arrested for tampering with physical evidence. He is to be arraigned today.

[Floh]

Wow. just wow, Molly. your collection of d*mning facts about the Flds- Court Hearings & Convictions is outstanding!

thank you for your sleuthing. :clap: :clap: :clap:

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy763.html

Lawsuits dominate the 300-plus page report. The UEP Trust is being sued by Elissa Wall, the child bride who was the star witness in the criminal case against Warren Jeffs. There is also litigation over property in an FLDS enclave in Canada, against Hildale and Colorado City over subdividing property, and a lawsuit over a modular home.

Wisan said he has been able to collect on part of one lawsuit he won against the suspended trustees of the UEP, including an Iron County dairy farm linked to the FLDS Church. "The Fiduciary does not believe that it is in the best interests of the Trust to own and operate the Harker Companies over the long term," Wisan wrote, adding that he planned to eventually sell the dairy.

Some lawsuits have been settled, including a lawsuit filed against the UEP Trust by the so-called "Lost Boys," teens ousted from the polygamous communities. Wisan has also managed to get some of the tape recordings of Jeffs' jailhouse conversations, after another legal battle.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy754.html

Arizona authorities have settled a lawsuit against a pair of Colorado City businesses accused of discriminating against people who are not members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church. The Arizona Attorney General's Office announced Monday that a settlement had been reached with the Vermillion Candy Shoppe and Big Dan's Drive Thru. Under the terms of the settlement, both businesses do not admit any wrongdoing, but a pair of judges are requiring them to:

Refrain from discriminating against anyone who does not belong to the FLDS faith or is considered an "apostate." Adopt a non-discrimination policy that will be provided to all present and future employees. Have employees attend training on non-discrimination policies and Arizona's Civil Rights Act.
Submit reports to Arizona authorities for five years on any policy violations and refusal to serve or admit anyone to the restaurants.

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Vermillion Candy Shoppe and Big Dan's Drive Thru earlier this year after ex-FLDS members Isaac Wyler, Andrew Chatwin and his wife, Michelle Chatwin, were refused service. Other ex-FLDS members also reported being denied service.

[mollymalone]

Wow. just wow, Molly. your collection of d*mning facts about the Flds- Court Hearings & Convictions is outstanding!

thank you for your sleuthing. :clap: :clap: :clap:Thanks! I know we've all been hearing about a lot of different types of court hearings concerning the FLDS but they tend to get lost among all the information about the FLDS on the internet. There really is an impact when they're together and one can see that there have been other convictions, even if they were light sentences.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy751.html

"Judge has granted sole interim custody and guardianship to an Idaho mother of three who fled the children's fundamentalist Mormon father in B.C. Teressa Blackmore, who recently testified against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, took the children to Idaho.

Her husband, Joseph Roy Blackmore, filed suit and claimed that the church issue was a red herring to justify wrongful conduct and sought to have the children returned to him.

But B.C. Supreme Court Justice Thomas Melnick found that the religious issue was not irrelevant.The judge noted that if the kids were to be raised by the dad, they would be raised within the church and their mother, having left the church, would discourage such involvement. Then he added: "Suffice it to say that, whatever Mr. Blackmore may argue about the FLDS Church being irrelevant to this application, it is an elephant in the corner of the room of this proceeding that inevitably casts a shadow over it." The judge said he accepted the mother's evidence that her decision to leave the church would result in herself and her kids facing ostracism within the church community, which may have a negative impact on the children. "Maximum contact with both parents is inconsistent with the best interests of the children in this case."

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy737.html

A Utah judge has threatened attorneys with contempt of court for making unwanted calls to jurors in the trial of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs. Fifth District Judge James L. Shumate's order says he "has been made aware of persons making unwanted, and, in some cases, harassing attempts to contact jurors in this case and members of their families."

David Finch, who served as jury foreman, was one of several jurors who received unwanted calls from a private investigator hired by Jeffs' attorneys.
"What he was trying to do was get something that would impeach the jurors so they could file an appeal," Finch said. "A couple of us called the judge and told him we were having a problem with that."

[Floh]

Thanks! I know we've all been hearing about a lot of different types of court hearings concerning the FLDS but they tend to get lost among all the information about the FLDS on the internet. There really is an impact when they're together and one can see that there have been other convictions, even if they were light sentences.

And some of those light sentences are appalling in their mockery at what sentences they deserved to get, IMO. :furious:

[mollymalone]

Allen Steed turned himself in to an FLDS town marshal, Hareman Barlow to be arrested on rape charges stemming from the Warren Jeffs trial. His $5,000 bail money was pre-paid before he ever got to the jail to be booked

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy733.html
Sources close to the case say these oddities seem to show that Warren Jeffs is still pulling all the strings: Barlow could have picked up Steed immediately after the judge signed the warrant. He did not. Instead, Barlow waited two weeks until Steed's attorney convinced a judge to drastically reduce his bail from $50,000 to $5,000. Barlow not only drove Steed to the Purgatory Jail (a 30 minute trip) but also drove him home at 3:00 a.m. after he was booked and released.

Sources don't believe that Steed or his immediate family have the financial resources to come up with the $5,000 cash – let alone pay for his Salt Lake City-based defense team. They say the money has to be coming from Jeffs through his lieutenants.

[mollymalone]

And some of those light sentences are appalling in their mockery at what sentences they deserved to get, IMO. :furious::mad: Aren't they just!!

[mollymalone]

JNJ Engineering over 4 years was awarded upwards of $11 million dollars in contracts with Clark County, the city and the water district. Despite not having any kind of license (required by law) for spraying herbicides or pesticides, or any background in wetlands work, JNJ Engineering landed a contract with Clark County much to their detriment, losing $500,000 to shoddy work.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy721.html
It appears Clark County is preparing to go to court against JNJ.
In Arizona, the company is under investigation by the Department of Labor for using minors on job sites.

One of the most recent contracts awarded to JNJ for restoring habitat at Clark County's Wetlands Park area. JNJ was to remove invasive tamarisk
trees and replace them with native trees and shrubs in what is an ecologically fragile park on the east side of the valley. However, instead of improving habitat, the county says JNJ killed hundreds of expensive trees that were raised just for this project. One estimate of the damage is more than $500,000. Inspectors say they often found JNJ employees sleeping in the bushes or in their trucks, driving vehicles that leaked oil onto the wetlands, pruning trees down to stumps. The most persistent problem was the application of an herbicide named Garlon. County inspectors repeatedly warned JHJ to stop spraying Garlon when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. They did it anyway, the county says, again and again. Now hundreds of trees and shrubs have been tagged for removal because they're dead or dying. An arborist hired by the county described the damage as egregious and incalculable.

Inspectors repeatedly complained about leaking irrigation pipes installed by JNJ. Jessop alleges his pipes were sabotaged by county workers. JNJ even called Metro to report it. The county responded by barring some of JNJ's employees from the site and discovered some used phony names.

[mollymalone]

Previously a federal district court judge threw out Fischer's suit. The ruling stated there was not enough evidence to show he was fired. The judge also refused to allow taped phone conversations Fischer had with company officials, finding they were hearsay.

AN APPEAL
http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy686.html
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case of Shem Fischer, who claims he was the subject of religious discrimination when he was declared an "apostate" by then-FLDS leader Rulon Jeffs and forced out of his job when he protested the firing of another co-worker who was not an FLDS follower. At issue before the 10th Circuit is whether Fischer quit on his own accord or was fired from his employment with Forestwood cabinet company, based in Hildale. The difference will determine whether Fischer can pursue a suit against the FLDS-owned company based on religious discrimination

The judges pointed to taped recordings between Fischer and the company's owner in which Fischer was told he could not work at the company if he went against "Uncle Rulon." The panel said they felt those tape recordings contained direct evidence of discrimination that could be heard by a jury, in opposition to the district court's ruling. A ruling is expected from the 10th Circuit in the coming months. Outside of court, Stewart said Fischer was the only person who fell victim to the FLDS edict who decided to take legal action for religious discrimination.

[mollymalone]

Wendell Musser faithfullly served his prophet while he was on the run. He dutifully became a courier between Jeffs and several of Jeffs wives. He and his family lived in "secret homes" while being on a caretaker mission for said wives within a secret network designed to help Warren Jeffs elude authorities.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy634.html
Wendell Musser loyally served Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs — and paid for it with his family. He has filed a lawsuit against Jeffs in St. George's 5th District Court, accusing the polygamous sect leader of alienation of affection, interference with parental obligations, emotional distress and invasion of privacy. The lawsuit claims the stress of caring for the fugitive leader's wives took its toll. Occasionally, Musser would drink and was once arrested for DUI.

"That mistake was enough for the Prophet to separate Wendell from his family," Hoole wrote Within a few days of returning to Short Creek, Lyle further informed Wendell that since he did not have the priesthood, the Prophet has commanded that Vivian and Levi were no longer his," Hoole wrote. Musser began searching for his wife and son, going back to the Colorado homes — only to find them vacant. He has written a letter to Jeffs, who is being held in the Purgatory Jail, but it has gone unanswered. Vivian and Levi Musser's whereabouts remain a mystery, Hoole claims. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and makes new allegations that Jeffs held himself out to be a "false prophet."

[mysteriew]

JNJ Engineering over 4 years was awarded upwards of $11 million dollars in contracts with Clark County, the city and the water district. Despite not having any kind of license (required by law) for spraying herbicides or pesticides, or any background in wetlands work, JNJ Engineering landed a contract with Clark County much to their detriment, losing $500,000 to shoddy work.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy721.html
It appears Clark County is preparing to go to court against JNJ.
In Arizona, the company is under investigation by the Department of Labor for using minors on job sites.

One of the most recent contracts awarded to JNJ for restoring habitat at Clark County's Wetlands Park area. JNJ was to remove invasive tamarisk
trees and replace them with native trees and shrubs in what is an ecologically fragile park on the east side of the valley. However, instead of improving habitat, the county says JNJ killed hundreds of expensive trees that were raised just for this project. One estimate of the damage is more than $500,000. Inspectors say they often found JNJ employees sleeping in the bushes or in their trucks, driving vehicles that leaked oil onto the wetlands, pruning trees down to stumps. The most persistent problem was the application of an herbicide named Garlon. County inspectors repeatedly warned JHJ to stop spraying Garlon when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. They did it anyway, the county says, again and again. Now hundreds of trees and shrubs have been tagged for removal because they're dead or dying. An arborist hired by the county described the damage as egregious and incalculable.

Inspectors repeatedly complained about leaking irrigation pipes installed by JNJ. Jessop alleges his pipes were sabotaged by county workers. JNJ even called Metro to report it. The county responded by barring some of JNJ's employees from the site and discovered some used phony names.

And just think.... another branch has some of our defense contracts! :eek:

[mollymalone]

And just think.... another branch has some of our defense contracts! :eek:Yes...:doh: It's just not right. :snooty:

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy650.html

In December 2005, Jeffs called the couple on a "caretaker mission." They traveled to Colorado and spent seven months looking after some of Jeffs' wives as part of a secret network created to help the sect leader elude capture. Musser described it as a harrowing experience that involved shifting hideouts and the use of disguises, cell phones, satellite navigation systems and other tactics to avoid detection.

"he was told by his wife, Vivian Barlow, that she and their 22-month-old son are out of his life forever
He then spent the next 90 minutes describing his exhaustive search for them, professing his love and asking for a second chance. Barlow rebuked and denounced him - and even refused to let him hold Levi. She asked him to leave them alone. "I said I won't walk away and can't walk away from Levi," said Musser, 22. So, while the others watched he did his best to refute her claims that he had deserted them, that he was out for money or wanted to harm Jeffs. Musser explained tht he had sued the sect leader only to learn her whereabouts. Barlow told Musser that since they had never married legally he has no claims to Levi; he reminded her he is listed as the father on the boy's certificate. She turned to her father and asked "Is that true?" and he was just quiet." Musser, said. I told her there is no reason to hide from me or hide him. Musser said the meeting ended hastily after he asked that his attorney Grg Hoole be allowed to join them. At that point. Anthus Barlo, Vivian's father, dashed out of the building with his daughter and grandson.

But Musser said he won't give up his quest to be part of his son's life. For now, that means moving ahead with his lawsuit. Greg Hoole said that Musser has "always been clear he'll let Vivian make her own choice but, with respect to Levi, he has an unquestioned right to be with his son."

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy669.html
Fifth District Judge James L. Shumate gave Jeffs one week to pave the way for Wendell Musser, a former caretaker for the sect leader, to re-establish a permanent relationship with his toddler son, Levi.

If there is no response from Jeffs, other leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Vivian Barlow, the child's mother, Musser's attorneys will be allowed to interview Jeffs under oath on July 27.

They would also be able to begin assessing a $600-plus daily penalty against Jeffs' commissary account at the Purgatory Correctional Facility. That is the per-day cost of hiring a private detective to search for Levi and his mother. The judge said attorneys Roger and Greg Hoole, who represent Musser, may seek judgments against anyone else who continues to interfere with their client's parental rights. They could then have personal property, such as cell phones and vehicles, seized and sold at a sheriff's auction, the judge said. Shumate also said Musser could add others to his complaint, such as the FLDS church, and seek judgments against related holdings - such as the gated YFZ Ranch in Texas.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy673.html
When asked to identify the couple in a photograph, Jeffs "basically stopped answering questions," said Roger Hoole, who, with his brother Greg Hoole, represents Musser. "From that point on, he wouldn't answer any questions related to where Wendell's son is or how he could be located."

Hoole said Jeffs read a prepared statement that said he would not give answers because they might be self-incriminating.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy677.html
The estranged wife of an ex-member of the Fundamentalist LDS Church is wading into a lawsuit filed against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs.
A motion to intervene on behalf of Vivian Barlow was filed Friday in St. George's 5th District Court. It seeks to interject her into a lawsuit her estranged husband, Wendell Musser, has filed against Jeffs.

Musser's lawyer claims it's an attempt to divert pressure from Jeffs.
"It wasn't until the pressure was really on Warren that magically they've been able to get Vivian to come forward through a lawyer who has represented FLDS interests," attorney Roger Hoole told the Deseret Morning News late Friday.

Barlow is seeking sole custody of their son, 2-year-old Levi, claiming Musser is unfit for custody or unsupervised visits. She also asks for $250 per month in child support. The motion indicates she is living in Mohave County, Arizona, where many polygamists live.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy636.html

A dairy and alfalfa farm operated by members of a polygamous sect will be seized to satisfy an $8.8 million judgment against Warren S. Jeffs and the FLDS church. Harker Farms Inc., in Beryl, has until May 25 to either comply with or object to the seizure sought by Bruce R. Wisan, a court-appointed fiduciary overseeing the United Effort Plan Trust. Harker & Sons, the entity that operates the farm, faces the same deadline.

The deal transferring the property allowed Wisan to seize the farm after he received a default judgement in March against Jeffs, other trustees and the FLDS church for mismanaging the trust. The other trustees named in the judgment are James K. Zitting, Leroy S. Jeffs, Truman L. Barlow and William E. Jessop, who also is known as William E. Timpson.

If Wisan does not satisfy the $8.8 million judgment by seizing the farm, he may pursue other assets held by any of those debtors.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy626.html
Seven young men have partially settled lawsuits that led to the state’s takeover of a property trust once overseen by polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs.

The agreement resolves claims against the United Effort Plan Trust, which has been under court oversight since May 2005, in a deal that includes land, an assistance fund and attorney fees. The settlements, which still need court approval, give each plaintiff title to a 3-acre, undeveloped lot near a community park in Maxwell Canyon. The canyon is located in Hildale, which along with Colorado City, Ariz., is home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The six men who sued alleged they were “systematically” driven out of the community by the church and Jeffs; the seventh alleged he was sexually abused by Jeffs about 20 years ago. The six plaintiffs are Richard Jessop Ream, 25; Thomas Samuel Steed, 21; Don R. Fischer, 22; Dean J. Barlow, 22; Walter S. Fischer, 24, and Richard Gilbert, 22. The man claiming sexual abuse is Brent Jeffs, 24.

The agreement also calls for creation of a $250,000 Lost Boys Assistance and Education Fund to provide emergency aid and education and housing help for people displaced from their families or the community. It will receive $50,000 a year through 2011 or earlier, depending on requests for help. Of that, $10,000 allotments will be given to the law firm of Hoole & King, which represented the seven men, to supply food, shelter and other short-term help to people leaving the twin towns. And it provides $100,000 to Baltimore attorney Joanne Suder, who initially filed the lawsuits on behalf of the men.

The settlement leaves intact claims against Jeffs, the FLDS church and other individuals associated with it.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy626.html
Brent Jeffs filed the first lawsuit on July 29, 2004, alleging Jeffs and two of his brothers had sexually abused him in the 1980s. Brent Jeffs claimed his uncles would leave church services, escort him out of a basement room where children gathered for Sunday school lessons and then sodomize him in a nearby bathroom. Brent Jeffs alleged his uncles told him they were “doing God’s work” and that he was not to tell anyone about their acts.

Two uncles, Leslie B. Jeffs and Blaine B. Jeffs, were dropped from the lawsuit a year ago because they had previously filed for bankruptcy, which automatically stays other court actions.

Brent Jeffs said the “whole goal” in pursuing the lawsuits was “for families to not be afraid to be families” and eliminate the threat of “having your house pulled out from under you” for disagreeing with the FLDS church. “

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy626.html
A separate lawsuit was filed on Aug. 27, 2004, by six boys who alleged they were driven out of the twin towns for “trivial reasons” in order to reduce competition for wives. Their lawsuit said they became “lost boys” as a result, adrift in a world they knew little about and cut off from family and friends.

Many have made their way to the Diversity Foundation, set up by former FLDS member Dan Fischer, for help with schooling, jobs and life skills training. Most of the teens have limited educations but marketable construction skills.
The foundation estimates that over the past decade, at least 400 teens have been driven out or fled the restrictive polygamous community, ending up in southern Utah, the Salt Lake City area or surrounding states.

Dan Fischer is the founder of Ultradent, a South Jordan dental products company, and is the uncle of Don and Walter Fischer. He is paying the legal fees of Roger Hoole and his brother Greg.

Rod Parker, an attorney who previously represented the FLDS church, has characterized the so-called “Lost Boys” as juvenile delinquents who proved unmanageable for their families.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy613.html
A factory formerly owned by a polygamous sect was auctioned off Tuesday by a court-appointed trustee. The winning bid was $1.65 million, not quite the $2 million the United Effort Plan Trust had hoped to receive for what had been the Western Precision plant. The factory sits on three acres near the Utah-Arizona state line and includes office space, two apartments and a machine shop.

Bruce Wisan, an accountant who oversees the trust, said Champion Safe of Provo plans to make gun safes at the plant and could hire 75 to 100 people. He said Tuesday's sale was the first to a company from outside the community, which is home mostly to members of the church. He expects to sell off more of the property in the future.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy609.html
Attorneys for Johnny Jessop sued Tuesday seeking a court order to force Warren Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to disclose the whereabouts of Jessop's 62-year-old mother, Elsie. Jessop has not spoken to his mother in more than 18 months, attorney Roger Hoole said.

Jessop says he was among several boys who were kicked out of the FLDS church in the past four years by Jeffs for being disobedient or because they were seen as competition to older men seeking young brides.Now living in Salt Lake, Jessop was forced out of his family five years ago, Hoole said. Essentially homeless, the youth ran into some minor legal trouble and was ordered several times by courts to return home. Under threat of church punishment, though, his family turned him away, and Jessop ended up in Salt Lake City as a ward of a nonprofit organization that helps boys who say they were pushed out of the church, Hoole said.

For several years, Jessop maintained telephone contact with his mother, but that ended nearly two years ago, Hoole said. Jessop believes that Jeffs ordered his mother to cut ties with him and that the leader knows where Jessop can find his mother, Hoole said. The young man says that he has written two letter to Jeffs, begging him to allow the family to reconnect, but that Jeffs has not responded.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy593.html
Bateman is one of eight Colorado City men indicted on charges of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.

David Romaine Bateman, 49, (a former schoolteacher), of Colorado City entered the courtroom silently in street clothes with his family and left in handcuffs with the same stoic countenance. Bateman was sentenced Monday to nine months in prison for sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. Mohave County Judge James E. Chavez sentenced Bateman to serve the sentences for the Class 6 felonies concurrently and required Bateman to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Chavez explained that he felt probation was useful for rehabilitation, while prison is necessary to help prevent a continuance of crime. "There must be some general deterrent effect to these proceedings," Chavez said

Smith focused on the fact that Bateman had not expressed any acknowledgement of committing any wrong or responsibility for breaking the law, which Chavez agreed with when delivering his sentence. "I regret Mr. Bateman sees little between the law and his religion," Chavez said. Chavez said he used the lack of prior convictions, Bateman's community involvement and the statements of the victim to decide on a mitigated sentence.

The victim, now 22, addressed the judge on the behalf of Bateman prior to sentencing. "The state of Arizona has tried to make a victim out of me," she said. "On the contrary, I'm in a happy family." She said she felt that Bateman had not done anything wrong to her. She added they had only been living out their religious beliefs. "I have not been brain-washed," she said. "I made the decision to marry him."

"She says she's not a victim and I won't treat her like a victim," Chavez said.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy591.html
David R. Bateman FLDS member was sentenced to nine months in prison for engaging in sex with a minor.

Vergel Jessop, FLDS member agreed to a plea bargain to avoid jail time, but will probably become a registered sex offender. Jessop works for the parks department in Colorado City, Arizona. In 2000 Jessop was "spiritually sealed" to a 17-year-old girl.

A Mohave County grand jury indicted eight other FLDS men on identical sex-crime charges in August 2005, five cases have been resolved.

Kelly Fischer was convicted and sentenced to 45 days in jail.

Donald Barlow was acquitted because the prosecutor failed to prove the crime took place in Arizona.

Charges were dropped against Terry Darger Barlow because his marriage to a minor took place in Canada. Defense attorney Bruce Griffen could prove that Barlow and the victim were not living in Arizona at the time of the alleged crimes.



Charges remain pending against Rodney Holm, Randy Barlow and Dale Barlow.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy523.html
Six members of the polygamous sect led by Warren S. Jeffs have been released from the Central Arizona Detention Center in Florence, Ariz., where they were being held on contempt of court charges. The six men were jailed after they refused to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Jeffs. Jeffs' arrest Monday evening just outside of Las Vegas may have made it unnecessary to continue holding the men.

The men released are: Mica S. Barlow ( police officers with the Colorado AZ Marshall's office) ; James R. Allred; Leroy B. Timpson; Benjamin Jeffs Neilsen (Warren's nephew); Leroy Jeffs (Warren's brother); and Samuel K. Allred.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy428.html
construction company in Hildale has been fined $10,395 for using boys, including a 12-year-old, to do roofing work. The firm, Paragon Contractors, (owned by Brian Jessop) also failed to pay the boys, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.

"the firm is appealing the penalty assessed by the Labor Department."

[Leila]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy677.html
The estranged wife of an ex-member of the Fundamentalist LDS Church is wading into a lawsuit filed against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs.
A motion to intervene on behalf of Vivian Barlow was filed Friday in St. George's 5th District Court. It seeks to interject her into a lawsuit her estranged husband, Wendell Musser, has filed against Jeffs.

Musser's lawyer claims it's an attempt to divert pressure from Jeffs.
"It wasn't until the pressure was really on Warren that magically they've been able to get Vivian to come forward through a lawyer who has represented FLDS interests," attorney Roger Hoole told the Deseret Morning News late Friday.

Barlow is seeking sole custody of their son, 2-year-old Levi, claiming Musser is unfit for custody or unsupervised visits. She also asks for $250 per month in child support. The motion indicates she is living in Mohave County, Arizona, where many polygamists live.

I bet Wendell Musser is one of the 21 men that Warren Jeffs kicked out and reassigned their wives to another man. It's been stated elsewhere that some of the reassigned wives were sent to the Texas ranch. I wonder if Vivian Musser and her son are there?

[mysteriew]

At familywatchdog you can run the sex offenders by city
http://www.familywatchdog.us/

This is Colorado City, Az.
http://www.familywatchdog.us/ShowMap.asp?frm=0

If you click on the boxes, it will tell you about the offenders. There are only two: One a Holm one a Jessop.
I live in a small town, and there are more sex offenders in my town than what shows in here.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy310.html
State authorities accused a former police officer convicted of bigamy of continuing to live with two women, which should be a parole violation.

While the state gathers information for a judge on that charge, state prosecutors argued during a parole hearing for Rodney Holm, 38, on Thursday that he should remain on probation, despite a parole officer's recommendation that Holm's probation be ended early. Assistant Utah Attorney General Kristine Knowlton said during Thursday's hearing that one of the probation conditions placed on Holm is that he obey all laws. But she said Holm is disobeying that if he continues to live with his first two wives.

Holm's attorney, Rod Parker, said the state knew about Holm's second wife before he was charged with bigamy with Stubbs, but the state did not pursue bigamy charge against him for that relationship. Fifth District Judge G. Rand Beacham said if Holm is violating the state's bigamy law, the state should produce a report alleging such behavior, but hasn't. Knowlton said she would request a report from Adult Probation and Parole on Holm's living arrangements. Until then, Holm was instructed he would remain on probation.

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy75.html
Former Hildale resident Ruth Stubbs said she fled a polygamous marriage four months ago and is now fighting for custody of her two young children. Stubbs said she decided to leave based on the needs of her children -- ages 1 and 2. And that is part of what the court will have to decide in the custody battle -- whether the polygamous lifestyle will be a part of her children's upbringing.

Holm wants full custody, his attorney, Rodney Parker, said Tuesday. Stubbs also wants full custody and the assurance that her children will not have to visit their father at his Hildale home where his other wives allegedly live.

[mysteriew]

Many details have come out since authorities took 463 children from the YFZ Ranch, which is a FLDS compound, the latest showing that boys who have turned 18 are choosing to stay with the state and some children might not have parents at the ranch.
According to the latest update that the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)provided to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, two boys in state custody turned 18 and have chosen to stay in state's care and based on interviews with the children, the Child Protective Services has reason to believe that some of the children in their care, "do not have parents at the Eldorado ranch."

http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2008/05/flds-children-update-given-to-senate.html

Be sure to check out the glossary of FLDS terms.

[Leila]

Many details have come out since authorities took 463 children from the YFZ Ranch, which is a FLDS compound, the latest showing that boys who have turned 18 are choosing to stay with the state and some children might not have parents at the ranch.
According to the latest update that the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)provided to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, two boys in state custody turned 18 and have chosen to stay in state's care and based on interviews with the children, the Child Protective Services has reason to believe that some of the children in their care, "do not have parents at the Eldorado ranch."

http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2008/05/flds-children-update-given-to-senate.html

Be sure to check out the glossary of FLDS terms.

Thanks Mysteriew! That was quite an article, and the glossary was fascinating!

[Pepper]

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/OPINION0101/805020348/1006/OPINION

Today, Texas officials are employing a sweeping definition of "child abuse" by removing 437 children from their FLDS families. Now the state must justify its actions by arguing that all of the children were harmed or potentially harmed by life in the church culture. As Tom Vick of the Texas Bar Association (who is rounding up lawyers for the children) puts it: "If it's a dangerous situation for one child, it's a dangerous situation for all."

This is a high bar, far more difficult than a limited investigation into specific allegations of under-age marriage. A victory for the state could mean that none of the children can be safely returned to the church. That could well spell the end of the FLDS community, at least above ground.

That's why Texas should proceed with caution from here on. The outcome of this case could create new grounds for intervention when the government decides an unpopular religious group is inherently detrimental to child welfare.

Temporarily removing the children may have been justified in this case -- that's what the courts will need to determine. But the ultimate decision about the children's fate should be based on whether there is clear evidence of systematic sexual abuse rather than on general condemnation of the beliefs of FLDS followers or prejudice against their way of life.

Barring such abuse, these children belong with their parents. Being raised in an unconventional religious system may appall or offend outsiders, but it is not by definition abusive. As much as Texas officials may not want to deal with it, this case is not only about child welfare. It's also about religious freedom.
~~~~~~~
I just hope the state realizes there is more here than 'just' sexual abuse. I believe we are talking:
* systematic culling out imperfect (handicapped children) by smothering them as infants.
* a disproportionate of "accidents" resulting in the death of children due to negligence or disregard of child labor laws.
* a disproportionate amount of broken bones in young children, possibly resulting from child abuse, or at the very least, absence of supervision.
* infant abuse by slapping and holding babies under water to teach them not to cry.
* systematic removal and abandonment of teen boys due to "disobedience," the result of which is often drug abuse and suicide, but this practice serves to reduce the competition for plural wives.
* murder has been alleged as the ultimate punishment for young girls looking to escape (Flora Jessop tape concerning 3 runaways).

Then there are the financial issues:
* possible welfare fraud by collecting welfare on dead or missing children.
* extortion of unreasonable tithes to fund the church and profit its leaders.
* probable violation of child labor laws.
* probable violation of minimum wage laws.
* trading of children across state and international boundries for the purpose of becoming underage plural wives.

There's probably more, but if here isn't enough information to think RICO, then I don't know what it would take.

[Pepper]

Be sure to check out the glossary of FLDS terms.

I couldn't find this.

[mysteriew]

I couldn't find this.

It is page 5 in this pdf.
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/documents/about/pdf/2008-04-22_Cultural_Awareness_Guide_for_Children_from_Eldo rado.pdf

[Pepper]

It is page 5 in this pdf.
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/documents/about/pdf/2008-04-22_Cultural_Awareness_Guide_for_Children_from_Eldo rado.pdf

Thanks!!

[golfmom]

Shurtleff has to be the SINGULARLY MOST STUPID MAN in American. :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/us/09cnd-polygamy.html?hp

Utah’s attorney general, Mark L. Shurtleff, sat before a room of perhaps 400 people, most of them fundamentalist polygamists, at a town hall meeting here on Thursday night. He asked for a show of hands. How many people, he wanted to know, were related to the children who were seized last month in a raid in Texas in an investigation of possible marriage and abuse of child brides?

Scores of hands shot up. Then Mr. Shurtleff asked his follow-up: How many of you would be willing to take those children into your homes? Without a moment’s hesitation, the same hands rose.

“We think it would be wonderful if that were to happen, and we’re going to continue to try to encourage that,” Mr. Shurtleff said, as the room exploded with applause.

[mykodiak]

He's blowing smoke in a pathetic attempt to re-build his reputation. Texas authorities will be VERY reluctant to hand over these children to someone that is merely "related". I think Mr. Shurtleff will also probably get a nasty response from Texas to any attempts he might make as a facilitator. I'm guessing something along the lines of: "PPPPFFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!"

What an IDIOT!!:loser:

[barb0301]

I think Mr. Shurtleff will also probably get a nasty response from Texas to any attempts he might make as a facilitator. I'm guessing something along the lines of: "PPPPFFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!"

What an IDIOT!!:loser:

I'm thinking something alongs the line of a very loud "DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS"

[golfmom]

This is Texas response that was further down in the article:

"Arizona has offered to assist, Mr. Goddard said, “but right now they’re claiming they’re an independent republic and we need to establish diplomatic relations.”

[SewingDeb]

I took it to mean that the Arizona Attorney General is saying that Texas is claiming to be an independent republic. Somehow I doubt that.

[RainbowsAndGumdrops]

The FLDS are an independent country?

[faw720]

He's blowing smoke in a pathetic attempt to re-build his reputation. Texas authorities will be VERY reluctant to hand over these children to someone that is merely "related". I think Mr. Shurtleff will also probably get a nasty response from Texas to any attempts he might make as a facilitator. I'm guessing something along the lines of: "PPPPFFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!"

What an IDIOT!!:loser: I can't imagine that Texas would be dumb, mean, or crazy enough to hand the children over to polygamous relatives. The kids would be back in the exact situation as before. I would think that the best outcome would be for the kids to be placed with mainstream Mormons so that they could retain the best that the faith has to offer. I don't understand the Mormon faith, but I know enough to know that Jeffs & his kind have polluted the religion for their own selfish & perverted means.

[yolorado]

He's blowing smoke in a pathetic attempt to re-build his reputation. Texas authorities will be VERY reluctant to hand over these children to someone that is merely "related". I think Mr. Shurtleff will also probably get a nasty response from Texas to any attempts he might make as a facilitator. I'm guessing something along the lines of: "PPPPFFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!"

What an IDIOT!!:loser:

Texas has taken a sensible approach. They had a complaint. They didn't call. They didn't write. They didn't just talk to YFZ 'authorities' and take their word that everything was hunky dorey (the way AZ and UT have for years.) TX went in and, though they didn't find the source of their complaint, they found proof TX laws had been and were being violated by the cult systematically. They didn't mess around. They took the kids. Now going forward, they're going to start with proving who the children's parents are before negotiating 'return' with the group, or anything else. Given rumors of 'reassignment' and underage sex, no other approach makes sense. I've become more and more frustrated the more I read by the prior inaction of the governments of AZ and UT against this cult which has violated the laws in those states with near impunity. The AZ attorney general is not changing my bad opinion by suggesting putting children back into a community against which the same type of abuse allegations have persistently been made. Many of the 'fathers' at the YFZ ranch had 'family' in 'Short Creek' according the Bishop's lists. Some of the men who left Texas might be hanging out in Hilldate and Co City now. They might have been at the meeting. It's insane that the AZ AG might be proposing a return to the very same abusers! Luckily, I doubt TX will have any of that. Yay TX. Finally someone stands up against this cult. Finally, a government authority stands up for these children and their rights and freedoms. Finally. Wonder how many hands would have shot into the air if Shurleff had ask for lost boys to be taken back.

[mysteriew]

Wonder how many hands would have shot into the air if Shurleff had ask for lost boys to be taken back.


Good point! Maybe we should ask him that!

[mykodiak]

Nahhh, Texans will brag about our beautiful state and almost anything else that one wants to toss into the conversation, but we're not apt to throw any dumb "independent republic" cr*p into this sort of legal battle. We don't pull our guns until we know we can hit the bulls-eye. We're also not going to turn the children over to ANYONE before they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that that person is the best option for the child. (Can you tell I'm just a smidge proud of my home state? :crazy:)

I foresee Greg Abbott's response to any contact made by Shurtleff to be "Thank you, but you had your chance and blew it. We intend to do it right, so please go away." We don't want to burn our bridges, but we're not going to give Shurtleff any chance to muck up the process.

[Floh]

Nahhh, Texans will brag about our beautiful state and almost anything else that one wants to toss into the conversation, but we're not apt to throw any dumb "independent republic" cr*p into this sort of legal battle. We don't pull our guns until we know we can hit the bulls-eye. We're also not going to turn the children over to ANYONE before they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that that person is the best option for the child. (Can you tell I'm just a smidge proud of my home state? :crazy:)

I foresee Greg Abbott's response to any contact made by Shurtleff to be "Thank you, but you had your chance and blew it. We intend to do it right, so please go away." We don't want to burn our bridges, but we're not going to give Shurtleff any chance to muck up the process.

Well, heck! I'm just a smidge proud of your home state too! :woohoo:

[mollymalone]

Interview with an ad litem involved with the flds children

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/254425
Natalie Malonis: An attorney ad litem in this context is an attorney appointed by the court to represent a child in custody proceedings instituted by the State (CPS or DFPS). My responsibilities are to determine whether my clients have the capacity to formulate objectives of litigation, and if so to express those to the court. In certain circumstances when a child lacks the capacity to direct litigation, because of age or mental status, etc, an attorney ad litem has some latitude to substitute the attorney's judgment for the child's.

[mollymalone]

http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/05/10/0510eldorado.html

Polygamist ranch is considered one household, state says.

Agency says mothers' behavior forced the judge to conduct mass hearings.Attorneys for the mothers responded in court documents filed Friday, saying CPS did not have sufficient evidence "to justify the mass separation of every single child" from his or her mother. "To distract attention from this inconvenient fact," the mothers' lawyers wrote, the agency focuses "on the mothers' purported beliefs, rather than on their actions or omissions."

[yolorado]

If the parents weren't co-operating with the authorities to the point that CPS couldn't even find out who each child's parent was, if CPS was't even sure that some of the children had parents at the ranch, I'm not sure how they were supposed to treat the compound as separate households. How would they know which children went where or with whom if they couldn't be reasonably assured of accurate info from the residents. CPS has implied that adults may have been moving kids around during the raid and sometimes seemed to be coaching the children to lie and dissemble while often appearing to do the same themselves. If you are CPS and you can't determine whose children are whose, if adults aren't co-operating, and if men are telling girls who look 13 to say they are 18, what else can you do but take them all?

[SewingDeb]

Texas: FLDS mothers in a 'conspiracy of silence,' cannot challenge children's removal

Until women from a polygamous sect "unequivocally" identify their offspring, they have no standing to contest a judge's decision to remove the children from a west Texas ranch, state officials argue.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services contends in a court filing released today that FLDS mothers have engaged in a "conspiracy of silence" that forced the en masse custody hearings they now want to do over.

and

But in an answer to the state filed today, TRLA attached a list of each mother and her children to refute the state's claims they are unwilling to identify their offspring.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9207759

[mysteriew]

Texas: FLDS mothers in a 'conspiracy of silence,' cannot challenge children's removal

Until women from a polygamous sect "unequivocally" identify their offspring, they have no standing to contest a judge's decision to remove the children from a west Texas ranch, state officials argue.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services contends in a court filing released today that FLDS mothers have engaged in a "conspiracy of silence" that forced the en masse custody hearings they now want to do over.

and

But in an answer to the state filed today, TRLA attached a list of each mother and her children to refute the state's claims they are unwilling to identify their offspring.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9207759

It's about time they identified their kids! But it still leaves the problem of CPS identifying the kids. With the mothers changing the kids names, changing ID bracelets, CPS can't really be sure that one child is named this or that. And I think that FLDS is just waiting for CPS to ID the wrong child in court. But it isn't going to surprise me if it happens.

And I still don't believe that the FLDS should be permitted to speak up for any child if they did not submitt DNA. Also no father should be permitted to speak up for any child that he doesn't have a DNA match with.

[mysteriew]

http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/05/10/0510eldorado.html

Polygamist ranch is considered one household, state says.

Agency says mothers' behavior forced the judge to conduct mass hearings.Attorneys for the mothers responded in court documents filed Friday, saying CPS did not have sufficient evidence "to justify the mass separation of every single child" from his or her mother. "To distract attention from this inconvenient fact," the mothers' lawyers wrote, the agency focuses "on the mothers' purported beliefs, rather than on their actions or omissions."

When they exchanged ID bands, and changed their own names and ages and the names of their children and their ages, those mothers by their actions acted as one group, indicated that they agreed with the FLDS rules and they committed a crime by obstructing an official investigation.

[mollymalone]

When they exchanged ID bands, and changed their own names and ages and the names of their children and their ages, those mothers by their actions acted as one group, indicated that they agreed with the FLDS rules and they committed a crime by obstructing an official investigation.Absolutely, and I agree, unless they're proven by dna to be a biological parent of a child, they shouldn't be allowed contact with them.

[SewingDeb]

It's about time they identified their kids! But it still leaves the problem of CPS identifying the kids. With the mothers changing the kids names, changing ID bracelets, CPS can't really be sure that one child is named this or that. And I think that FLDS is just waiting for CPS to ID the wrong child in court. But it isn't going to surprise me if it happens.

And I still don't believe that the FLDS should be permitted to speak up for any child if they did not submitt DNA. Also no father should be permitted to speak up for any child that he doesn't have a DNA match with.

I agree. If DNA does not match, no one should be able to claim to be the parent of a particular child. If a parent did not provide DNA, they should forfeit their rights.

[SewingDeb]

When they exchanged ID bands, and changed their own names and ages and the names of their children and their ages, those mothers by their actions acted as one group, indicated that they agreed with the FLDS rules and they committed a crime by obstructing an official investigation.


I think they should be charged as a group for obstruction.

[Linda7NJ]

I totally disagree with the states plan to vaccinate all of those children

[FlowerChild]

When they exchanged ID bands, and changed their own names and ages and the names of their children and their ages, those mothers by their actions acted as one group, indicated that they agreed with the FLDS rules and they committed a crime by obstructing an official investigation.

When the Mothers were with the children in the 1st "shelter" the CPS workers, officials, volunteers and LE SAW the mothers taking bracelets off the kids, exchanging their own bracelets and those of the kids, using a magic marker to blot out the info on the bracelets, instructing children to lie about their names and ages, instructing children NOT to ID their mother OR father and the women traded breast feeding infants among the nursing mothers so as to confuse authorities and make it appear that no underage girls had infants.

In addition there seem to be no "official" birth certificates for many of the children. Evidently some (perhaps most?) births were NOT recorded with the state where the child was born. The Dr at YFZ SAID he could provide "birth information" but since he is also a MEMBER of the FLDS I can see why the authorities would be reluctant to trust this Dr's information...this is the same Dr who said he had never seen an underage pregnant girl at YFZ. Since the Dr's, Coroners, LE, Judges and state offices in Hilldale and Colorado City are ALL run by FLDS members there is NO GUARANTEE any documentation provided is accurate or TRUE.

It appears that for a large number of "events" no official (state accepted) documentation exists - no Birth Certificates, no Death Certificates, no Wedding Licenses. At this point the state of Texas is NOT going to hand over a child to ANYONE until that person has been proved by DNA to be a parent. I don't care HOW MANY lists the lawyers present, how many birth certificates they produce or even if the mothers ARE correctly ID-ing their children today. These women spent days OPENLY trying to obstruct CPS and LE and prevent anyone from knowing the birth parents of ALL the children from YFZ, and NOW expect the state to just turn over children on their word and/or an unverified Birth Certificate??? Not gonna happen. Perhaps in Utah - with their "buddy" as Atty General and a sympathetic judge the state would just accept the word of the parents and accept a probably bogus BC filled out by an FLDS midwife or Dr - but OUR Atty General and judges here in Texas aren't going to. They have already determined and announced that DNA will be the defining "test" of establishing the parents of every child from YFZ.

Notice to the FLDS --- YOU AREN'T in UTAH (or ARIZONA) ANYMORE.

BTW, MOST of the FLDS members who were NOT in AZ or UT have returned there since the raids. The Atty General in UT is signaling LOUDLY that they will be "safe" there. I find it sad and disgusting that the Atty General of UTAH is offering a safe haven for these ABUSERS and CON ARTISTS. If I lived in UT I would be really PO'd that my tax money would continue to go to people who intentionally lie and defraud the Govt. and are suspected of YEARS of child abuse and child abandonment.

My Opinion

[yolorado]

The more I read, the more I support what Texas has done. The FLDS has lied to Texas from the start. They lied about who they were when they bought the El Dorado property, and the lied about their intentions for use of the land. They take child brides and use child labor in violation of state and federal law, and they lie about that. They lie about their ages and their relationships and even about who their kids are. With so many lies, how can TX do anything but use independent means to verify information and prove relationships. They really can't do anything else. There's no way they could discern separate households from the mess of lies and lying liars they encountered with the FLDS. I own property in Mohave County, AZ and pay property taxes there and I'm furious that my tax dollars may have gone to support these liars and cheats. I intend to write every official I can, questioning the tollerance of this group shown forever by AZ state and local governments. It's truly shameful. Once again, kudos to TX for doing the right thing. It's about time somebody did.

[mollymalone]

On the vaccination, I agree it's a parental choice to do so or not, but given the fact that these children are probably going to be mingling with other "outside" children over time during their stays in state custody, and will be exposed to the illnesses that come with that, it'd be in their best interest to be vaccinated. I'd prefer in this instance that they err on the side of caution than not. Especially since the so called parents have overall been largely uncooperative in designating who their biological children are.

Isn't it ironic that Shurtleff brags that the flds fled from Utah and AZ to Texas since they were putting the heat on them and now he's welcoming them back and reassuring them that they'll be safe to continue their practices?

Texas officials have every right to dispute documents that they deem are false or not officially issued by AZ or Utah...especially if it was rubberstamped by an FLDS member.
It should be doubly verified imo.

[cheko1]

Texas authorities have no other choice then to dispute documents. The FLDS has lied & did everything in there power to make this as horrific as they can for authorities, the kids & everyone else concerned...then cry wolf. Who knows what or whose kids they have????