Posted on 05/06/2008 8:55:06 AM PDT by Politicalmom
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- A judge today ordered the Texas Attorney General's Office to appoint a special prosecutor to handle any criminal cases arising from the raid of the FLDS polygamous ranch in El Dorado. Two men were arrested on suspicion of interfering with police during the raid last month but have not been formally charged. Texas child protective services also say they found 31 teenagers at the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ranch who were pregnant or who had already given birth.
Canadian parents want Ottawa's help in getting daughter back from TX, attorneys complain about confusion with hearings, polygamous dad speaks out, mothers leave children while courts sort out case, Carolyn Jessop's "Escape" no. 5 on NYT bestseller list, deport's excellent list of links, Warren Jeffs under suicide watch, man has 21 wives, 35 children, town hall set for media, law discussions on polygamy .
5/4 thread, with articles on:
Recollections of life in the cult, polygamy summit in St. George, Utah AG reluctant to judge Tx action, UT, AZ polygamists retreated to TX, children adapt to new homes, states divided on approach to polygamy
5/3 thread, with articles on:
Colorado woman's (Laura Chapman) story of abuse in fLDS, letter from fLDS mothers to Utah governor, more on fashion, according to UT, "few answers in Texas", how families are torn apart by fLDS, Utah gives TX hints on handling of fLDS kids, reprint of TX law professor's assertion that raid was correct and legal, discussion on blood atonement with links, Polygamy's undergrond railroad, "Mormon Manson," comparisons between YFZ and Cold Creek, fairly complete listing of child child custody legal procedure, common pediatric fractures, look at how fLDS acquired land for compount using fraud in 2004
5/2 thread, with articles on:
Utah officials don't want federal help, feds claim they're stymied in probes of fLDS, residents of UT and AZ want crackdowns, home schooling for sect children, burden of proof high in such cases, kids' religious needs, older boys, not adults may be source of abuse of boys, Bishop's Record (pdf) list of YFZ families, Dr. Phil opines, warrant canceled for AZ man originally charged with molesting "Sarah," protesters supporting fLDS mothers show up at NBA game, letter from fLDS mothers claims rights violated, law professor says state correct to remove children from ranch, excerpt from "On the Lam with Warren Jeffs."
5/1 thread, with articles on:
FLDS doctor denies abuse, fLDS petitions court for return of children, denial of abuse of boys, commentary by Marci Hamilton (constitutional law expert), TX senator wants more info on YFZ, LDS response to situation, new evidence on abuse, NY Voodoo sex abuse case
4/30 thread, with articles on:
Investigations into fLDS government contracts, new compound built at 4 Corners area, strains on CPS capacity, Shurtleff & Reid agree to work together, interview with mothers in Amarillo, Colorado City fLDS watching events in Texas, NM removes 4 children from non-fLDS cult compound, sexual and physical injuries listed, proposed AZ bill would shield children of polygamists, Canadians want action on polygamists, fLDS denies child abuse, fLDS claims children have brittle bone disease, articles on brittle bone disease
4/29 thread with articles on:
"Lost" boys found, cult children statistics, more on WE documentary, sect doctors silent on abuse question, legal news and details, woman recalls life in sect, children's diet, Texans chip in to help, children at one shleter think they're all siblings, sect placement marriages "diabolical," sect threatens lawsuit, questions DNA tests might answer, teen mother gives birth (it's a boy)
4/28 thread with articles on:
Criminal charges urged for YFZ, new "prophet" film, debate over legalities of raid, Bountiful, BC fLDS group, reason in religious beliefs, former fLDS member shares insights, more on the Short Creek raid, documentary about group on WE TV.
4/27 thread with articles on:
Gene disorders in group, child custody processes, appeal to Gov. Perry, unusual way of life in YFZ, possibility of children held at YFZ whose parents were forced out, sheriff says authorities had spy inside sect.
4/26 thread with articles on:
Cost of care for the children of the sect, charges that two kids might be missing, how members of the sect dress, court rejects requests of mothers to stay with children, appeals court cancels hearing, Canadian involved in sect, culture shock for kids, oil drillers last laugh, possible involvement in human trafficking and drugs at Colorado City, Rep. Kay Granger's request to investigate financial ties to USG
4/25 thread with aritcles on:
Courts allowing state to place children in foster homes, legal challenges to the raid, beliefs on polygamy, protests against the raid and removal of children, Warren Jeff's appeal, portions of the Texas Family Code4/24 thread with articles on:
Seized polygamous sect kids face tough adjustment, articles on how and where the children were placed, Carolyn Jessup on Canadian children possibly at the ranch, legal aid group challenges judge, interview with Benjamin Bistline, 40 women choose to go to safe house instead of back to cult, 25 girls claimed to be adults, now found to be minors.
As always, for the sake of orderliness (and to prevent the pulling of threads and/or messages), let's do try to stay on topic and polite. You can't have a flame war if you don't take the bait.
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Makes sense - there is so much evidence to sort through and it’s such a complicated case that it would be a huge distraction for a county prosecutor trying to deal with the regular responsibilities of his office.
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Normally special prosecutors are appointed to avboid conflicts of interest. This may well be a way of separating the AG from the prosecution. The AG has said some inflamatory things in public that could prejudice the state’s case.
How so?
The AG's office is terribly constrained with respect to manpower and money. As a result, they typically concentrate on only the worst situations, and an Assistant AG will typically monitor and prosecute several of these at the same time.
By contrast, a special prosecutor will report either directly to the AG or to an Associate AG. This gives them special access to the top management, their pick of the best talent, and far more funds with which to work.
This is process is typically reserved for only the worst of the worst, and it virtually ensures the guilty will be prosecuted and punished.
Yay!
Thank you for taking the time to explain it.
Will the Special Prosecutor be able to move outside crimes of family law and into such crimes as fraud?
Updated: 11:27 AM- SAN ANGELO, Texas - A judge has ordered the Texas Attorney General's Office to serve as the prosecutor on all criminal cases connected to last month's raid on the polygamous FLDS sect's compound in El Dorado.So it is not a "special prosecuter", it was handing the case from the district up to the state level. The article doesn't say why, but my GUESS is the cost and complexity.The district attorney here filed a motion Monday requesting the Texas attorney general assume the cases. A state judge granted the request in a one-paragraph order issued the same day. The judge instructed the Texas attorney general to consider all cases arising from two search warrants served on the YFZ Ranch.
The article says the district AG requested the case be taken by the State AG.
The article does not explain why they earlier apparently said "special prosecuter". They don't give a change history.
An excellent question! In my experience, the AG loves welfare fraud cases because they are rarely, if ever, lost. Most workers have extensive documentation in place and the cases therefore require very little work.
I was thinking,
can you imagine being a WF case worker and dealing with the FLDS women week after week, year after year.
Talk about being witnesses. Seeing a girl come in as a daughter one month and a wife the next, knowing you had her recorded as 12 just last year (very hypothetical but) for them to get the money, they had to give up a lot of info on a consistant basis.
It isn’t that different from some other cultures. I had an older sister report her 15-yr-old sister for neglect. The CPS worker called and told me to call her in. He showed for the appt. but was not surprised when she didn’t. I don’t know if they ever removed the child from the child.
The father had ‘given’ her to a 30-year-old man, the CPS worker explained, which he did thinking the man would provide a better life for her. It creeped me out then, the same as now.
According to the order, “the court hereby orders that the Attorney General’s Office of the state of Texas, be and is hereby appointed as special prosecutor in these matters through all phases until final disposition.”
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/may/06/judge-names-attorney-general-special-prosecutor/
The AG can take on anything that violates Texas statutes. They are especially skilled and experienced at prosecuting fraud.
No comment :(
Thank you very much.
Thanks. I think the original article posted here got confused and thought the AG was supposed to APPOINT a special prosecuter, not be APPOINTED as a special prosecutor.
I would also guess that in this case, the term “special prosecutor” is technical, as the state AG is “special” to the prosecution of a district matter, but not “special” as some others suggested the term to be used, as someone outside the normal chain who can command more resources.
I do think that the state will have more resourses to use than the district would have.
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