Confidence in polygamy search warrant now shaky

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE ^ | 4/24/2008 | PAUL A. ANTHONY

[Jim W N]

This thing refocuses on two major problems in our society:

1) Spiritual darkness and immorality on the increase and

2) as a result, government power, legally or illegally, also on the increase.

[JRochelle]

All mothers with babies under 12 months are with their babies.

A 3 month old is younger than 12 months. So wouldn’t they be with their mothers?

[purpleraine]

I'll see those and add the first amendment, freedom of religion.

The "rumors" of sex with girls was there before. Why didn't the government move on that?

I think the locals don't like polygamy and of course there's a law against it. So why didn't the cops move on that before?

My belief is that this was a "gotcha" raid, like Waco, where they could have arrested the guy in town, but wanted to destroy the compound. This move is to destroy the compound because those religious "weirdos" are out there will all thosw wives and we can't have that can we.

[burroak]

I don’t think “good faith” is a term criminal proceedings use.

Probable cause is more applicable.

PROBABLE CAUSE - A reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime. The test the court of appeals employs to determine whether probable cause existed for purposes of arrest is whether facts and circumstances within the officer’s knowledge are sufficient to warrant a prudent person to believe a suspect has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime.

With the complainant being anonymous and the police knowing in advance that the person listed in the warrant was not in Texas, I am going to side with the “defective warrant” crowd until the dust settles.

[WayneS]

Thank you for your insight.

Here I was thinking that the women (you know, the FORMER young teenaged girls who were forced into marriage to older men and then raped) were the VICTIMS here.

Now I learn that the WHOLE DANG GROUP is a bunch of polygamizing criminals. Even the kids is prob’ly just a bunch a no good FUTURE polygimizers.

Why heck, maybe the FBI SHOULD have just burned ‘em all.

Save the taxpayers a lot of money, ya’ know.

[swain_forkbeard]

That’s just what this raid is about.

[Jim W N]

My guess is all those “Constitutional scholars” and self-righteous “law and order” folks will be lining up to apologize to me now. Apologize, that’s a good one. They will be lining up to further castigate your rosy rear end, and might just add a few more names to the list. When self righteous is your middle name, apology is not in your vocabulary, sort of like, let me think, oh I know, a democrat.

Except that "Constitution" and "Democrat" are mutually exclusive.

[longtermmemmory]

the net had this down within 24-48 hours.

It took the old media A MONTH to get this story out.

(of course the CPS and criminal cases are two seperate issues)

[swain_forkbeard]

Who has been arrested in the FLDS case?

[TheDon]

As news of that arrest and possible involvement in the case was reported Friday, CPS officials backed off their insistence that the girl would be found.

In a media briefing immediately after the two-day custody hearing Friday, CPS spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner used Sarah more as a symbol than as a person.

"I do believe that Sarah exists," she said. "There were many Sarahs. Just because perhaps someone else placed that phone call doesn't change our involvement. "What we feel we found was systematic abuse of children."

This is sounding more and more like a fishing expedition all the time. CPS and the judge are up a creek without a paddle. Unfortunately, I think this is all a detriment to the real victims. One only hopes that in the end, any victims of statutory rape will be protected and the perps punished. CPS and the judge are not doubt heading into full blown CYA mode at this point. I also feel sorry for the uninvolved kids, parents and families that are being victimized by the gov't. It's a sad day for Texan justice.

[pgkdan]

So did I. Said so the first time I heard the story.

[Jim W N]

That makes these Texas police only about half as bad as the FBI (so far).

Right. Compared to the Feds, the state (so far) is a minor problem. They're still tentative, almost like they're trying to be careful about how to treat those they serve, unlike the Feds who more and more have adopted a "master" role.

[wita]

They got the warrant in good faith.

We shall see, won’t we. There are a great many unconvinced.

[wolfcreek]

No one that I know of but, there was a search and seizure.

[JRochelle]

Religion?

This bunch is a sorry excuse for a religion. Taking young girls as wives and throwing out the young men isn't a religion.

Is all about sex. Separating the whole group from the rest of the world ensures that the supply of young girls will be always be replenished. They are lest likely to leave.

These perverted men need to go to prison for a very long time.

[swain_forkbeard]

Imagine throwing a lasso around any population of similar size, say from an inner-city poor neighborhood, or from an upscale suburb, or from the TX legislature. Remove the kids. Interrogate. They won’t cooperate, so DNA test ‘em all.

Think you’d find any child endangerment, stautory rape, welfare fraud, teen pregnancy, or children living with parents who turn out not to be biological ancestors?

[JRochelle]

Well if they did not get the warrant in good faith they will be denounced by many.

I am willing to believe them until I have proof that they did not get the warrant in good faith.

[wolfcreek]

The boys who remained were being groomed to be the future perpetrators.

[Cyber Liberty]

I find it amazing how some folks don’t understand the concept of “poisoned fruit.”

[Lurker]

These perverted men need to go to prison for a very long time.

Which is exactly what will NOT happen if the authorities didn't follow proper legal procedures to the letter.

L