Polygamous-sect children ordered to stay in Texas custody (DNA Tests Ordered)

From the Associated Press ^ | 5:52 PM PDT, April 18, 2008 | Associated Press

[granite]

SAN ANGELO, Texas -- More than 400 children taken from a ranch run by a polygamous sect will stay in state custody and be subject to genetic testing, a judge ruled Friday. State District Judge Barbara Walther heard 21 hours of testimony over two days before ruling that the children be kept by the state. Individual hearings will be set for the children over the next several weeks. She ordered that all children and parents be given genetic testing. Child welfare officials have said they've had difficulty determining how the children and parents are related because of evasive or changing answers.

[Azrael]

Whoa, the Attorney General said it???? DAMN, IT MUST BE TRUE!!!!!

[SouthTexas]

No, see my comment to DD in #38.

I was answering his question that only underage pregnancy was sufficient evidence.

[Mr. Silverback]

Um...how did you miss the fact, detailed clearly in the article, that the people from the ranch are not giving answers on paternity? But hey, why have basic constitutional rights for a despised group? Self incrimination for everyone!

1. You know why this group is despised? Because they're the only religious denomination in the country I know of that's been proven in court to believe in sexual abuse of children as a sacrament.

2. Nothing the government is doing as far as DNA ests has anything to do with their status or alledged crimes. It has to do with not having any other means of knowing their parentage.

[org.whodat]

I made a comment concerning the horrors experienced by children in state care. For this you insult me and imply that I like this cult or would like to see it perpetuated.

BS, your statement was: Polygamous sect. State custody. It's hard to tell which is the frying pan and which is the fire.

I think your statement speaks for itself.

[ChocChipCookie]

This sect/cult is unique. It’s a fact that it marries underage girls to older men. It’s a fact that it kicks out many of its’ younger men. It doesn’t take a whole lot of brain power to figure that these very young girls are more probably pregnant by much older men than not. And THAT is illegal and immoral.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

The fact that every jr. high school in the country has some promiscuous girls does NOT mean that every jr. high school in the country has girls being bound for life to adult men. A jr. high school girl, messing with her high school boyfriend and thus pregnant, is being exploited by a fellow minor. It is a bad situation but not the same as breeding and grooming your own children for sexual exploitation, and then forcing them into it.

You're exactly right. Some people on this thread don't care about the fact that young teenage girls are forced to go to bed with 50 yr old men on these compounds. The whole thing makes me sick.

[Azrael]

No, I was making a point. It is easy to pick on uneducated white people in rural America who the media like to demonize regardless of the truth. IF they are guilty of this, they have what is coming to them. Again, this is hard for you to understand, my comments where meant to be provocative to show that only certain groups of people are acceptable for potential witch hunts.

[berdie]

Actually..I think this organization is very educated.

[SouthTexas]

You can throw in all the “brain” power you wish, it’s not evidence, that is what my answer pertained to.

[Azrael]

Yes, if it is proven true that these young girls at this location were forced to do this, than it is an abomination. What concerns me is things the police said initially (and the media said) which are now apparently untrue—such as the initial complainant being 16 and living in Texas when she is apparently 33 and living in Colorado.

[jabchae]

So, you "know" more about what I mean than I do. Please enlighten me. Since I don't mean that people in foster care often come out very damaged, and that leaving a bad situation doesn't necessarily mean entering a good one--as I thought I meant--what do I mean? I clearly don't know as much about what I think as you do.

Do you have any experience with CPS?

[org.whodat]

acceptable for potential witch hunts.

Little girls being raped and used as prized breding stock does no equal witch hunt.

[Judith Anne]

Your emotional sarcasm does not hide the fact that there was probable cause, there will be DNA testing, and Jeffs photo was all over the rooms in the ranch.

We know who Jeffs is, and he was convicted on SOME of what he did.

And the welfare fraud WILL be investigated.

[Azrael]

If true that they are well educated, I stand corrected.

[Crim]

Begone with your evil logic..!

My point exactly...

[Azrael]

If proven to be true then you are correct.

[Texas Songwriter]

The new stari decisis will be to arrest an entire neighborhood of parents, take into custody all of the children from the neighborhood, because there is a phone call making allegations of pedophilia in that neighborhood. Freepers should not have problems with this? It seems if the court order allowing the state to enter their homes is based upon false allegations (Sarah) and any evidence derived from that order is a derivitive of the fruit of the poisonous tree.

The State of Texas had better have some real evidence.

[Azrael]

It should be investigated and if evidence found should be prosecuted. If found guilty then the perps should face harsh consequences.

[Repeal The 17th]

I am just puzzled by this in a general legal sort-of-way.

In general, and in other circumstances,
this particular case notwithstanding,
can a person be “forced” to submit to DNA testing?
Does that apply to you? Me? An adult? A minor child?
Even when they have not been charged with a crime?

There are those who think this testing is needed
here, in this particular case, but it sounds scary
to me in a general-use sort of way.

“We think we have a strand of the perpetrator’s
hair, so we are going to demand DNA testing
from everyone who lives in this town
to see if we can find a match???”

Is that really done?