Posted on 04/18/2008 4:36:24 AM PDT by BlackVeil
SAN ANGELO, Texas - After hours of lawyers popping up with similar objections and questions, a custody hearing for 416 children seized from a polygamist sect finally turned to whether they were abused: A child welfare worker said some women at the sect's ranch may have had children when they were minors, some as young as 13.
The testimony came late Thursday, the first day of a court hearing to determine whether the children, swept up in a raid on the ranch two weeks ago, will remain in state custody. Child welfare officials claim the children were abused or in imminent danger of abuse because the sect encourages girls younger than 18 to marry and have children.
Child welfare investigator Angie Voss testified that at least five girls who are younger than 18 are pregnant or have children. Voss said some of the women identified as adults with children may be juveniles, or may have had children when they were younger than 18.
Identifying children and parents has been difficult because members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have given different names and ages at various times, Voss said. The state has asked that DNA be taken from all of the children and their alleged parents to help determine biological connections. The judge has not ruled on that request.
The court hearing, which continues Friday morning, disintegrated into farce early Thursday, as hundreds of lawyers who descended on San Angelo for the proceedings shouted objections or queued up to cross-examine witnesses. The judge struggled to maintain order.
"I've tried to impose some structure to this free-for-all," said Texas District Judge Barbara Walther.
The case — one of the biggest, most convoluted child-custody hearings in U.S. history — presented an extraordinary spectacle: big-city lawyers in suits and mothers in 19th-century, pioneer-style dresses, all packed into a historic courtroom and an auditorium two blocks away that was patched into the proceedings by a grainy video feed.
The state wants to keep the children in its custody, and likely move them to foster homes while officials continue investigating abuse allegations. The state must provide evidence the children were physically or sexually abused, or are in imminent danger of abuse.
In 11 hours on Thursday, only three witnesses testified, including Voss.
As lawyers shouted, dozens of mothers sat quietly in their long cotton dresses and braided upswept hair. They were sworn in as possible witnesses at the hearing's outset, but it was not clear when they might testify.
In the satellite courtroom at City Hall, hundreds of people strained to see and hear a large projector set up on the auditorium's stage. But the feed was blurry and barely audible.
"I'm not in a position to advocate for anything," complained Susan Hays, the appointed attorney for a 2-year-old sect member.
No decisions were made on the fate of any of the youngsters, and more cross-examination of Voss was likely Friday.
The children, most of whom are being kept in a domed coliseum in San Angelo, range in age from 6 months to 17 years. About 130 are under 4 years old, Voss said.
She said she was concerned about how the children and women followed the orders of the church's prophet, identified as jailed leader Warren Jeffs.
"The children reported that if the prophet heard from the Heavenly Father that they were to marry at any age, they were to do that. If the prophet said they were to lie, they were to do that," Voss said.
Jeffs is currently awaiting trial in a Kingman, Ariz., jail on charges related to the promotion of underage marriages. He previously was convicted of being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old wed to her cousin in a Utah case.
The sect came to West Texas in 2003, relocating some members from the church's traditional home along the Utah-Arizona state line. Voss said the ranch was considered a special place, the sect's Zion.
Authorities raided the 1,700-acre ranch south of here in Eldorado on April 3 and began removing children while seeking evidence of underage girls being married to adults. Walther signed an emergency order giving the state custody of the children taken from the ranch.
The raid was prompted by a call from someone identifying herself as a 16-year-old girl with the sect. She claimed her husband, a 50-year-old member of the sect, beat and raped her.
The girl has yet to be identified, though Voss said a girl matching her description was seen by other girls in the ranch garden four days before the raid began.
___
Associated Press writer Jennifer Dobner in San Angelo contributed to this report.
Had those same girls gone to an abortion clinic we would never hear about the pregnancy. This could be precedent setting; anonymous calls and allegations, pregnant teens, rape? Or is it only illegal when they try to have the babies?
Did I read something somewhere about, "thou shalt not lie"? Amazing how even folks on FR are saying it's a hoax and LE should apologize and return everyone back to the compound. If something bad isn't going on, there's no reason to lie.
You asked, “ . . . is it only illegal when they try to have the babies?”
It’s only illegal when dirty old men brainwash ignorant women into sexual slavery and rape little girls.
This is not about aborting or giving birth. May the innocent children who have resulted from this travesty be rescued to live happy and productive lives.
The Declaration mentions “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Those kids haven’t had a chance at any of that.
The preamble to the Constitution says it was written to, among other things, “provide for the general welfare.”
It would be a gross dereliction of duty for our authorities to let this abomination continue in our free society.
I'd say the odds on the compound of these people run even with our local high school.
Just a few questions. Will they now go through public housing projects to track down “fathers” who impregnated underage girls? How about some Muslim communities condoning “marriage” with underage girls? Finally, I was wondering, at the end of everything, what will happen to the 17000 acre ranch?
"The children reported that if the prophet heard from the Heavenly Father that they were to marry at any age, they were to do that. If the prophet said they were to lie, they were to do that," Voss said.
Jeffs sounds like the Rev Jim Jones. That sort of power over people is frightening.
Yeah, but we can’t interfere with that. They have their Constitutional rights you know, the men that is. No one else has any.
DNA is the only way to go with these adult who are liars. The abusive incest has to stop somewhere.
All the womens hairdo’s are the same, same type of clothes etc.
Nothing but stepford wives for their weird pedofile husbands.
All a bunch of weirdo’s
Uh, the kids are taught that outsiders are not to be trusted; that those outside their religion are out to destroy them. It appears much of what they are being taught is true. There isn’t one bit of evidence to date. We were told there were “dozens” of underage pregnant girls rounded up. Now it turns out it may be two or three and with 100 teen age boys in the compound that would be a miracle if there were only 2 pregnant. There is nothing coming up that is not conjecture, third person, or just plain not evidential to the charges.
A freakshow indeed.
“Religious compound” defined in Webster’s as “place where all the 13 year old girls are humped by 1 or 2 55 year old men.”
Bet you don’t like the Amish either...or the Quakers, or anything of the sort.... for sure.....only fools dress alike in this world.....
Famous last words “she said”..
What will happen to the compound? Most likely it will be turned into a Madrassa with armed guards, an Islamic flag flying, and morning calls to prayers made from the towers.
All the women will be covered from head to toe and walk steps behind the men. The men will be free to divorce them by saying I divorce you three times. The women will not be permitted to drive nor to be seen in the company of any male other than their “husband”.
Only then will this bunch of Texans decide that normalcy has returned to their community.
thank you for an articulate post. You summed it up so well.
Why do the men not want to speak to & be seen? If they can have 3+ wives & take our tax dollars for welfare to support such huge families then they ought to step up & claim their children. Bunch of creeps. I just hear the same response from the mothers. We want the children. I saw the tour of the house & it was creepy to me. The whole thing is creepy. Since polygamy is illegal toss them all in jail & help the children however CPS can. Its not ideal but living on that ranch is not ideal either IMO.
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