Posted on 06/03/2008 12:31:52 PM PDT by killermedic
ELDORADO, TEXAS -- As officials haggled Friday over how to return more than 400 children to their parents, it was becoming increasingly clear that Texas' audacious attempt to rein in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had backfired -- and become a lesson in the difficulty of cracking down on the 10,000-member polygamist sect.... Authorities raided the FLDS compound in April after receiving an anonymous phone call. Although they did not find the caller, who said she was a minor being sexually abused on the compound -- the call appears to have been a hoax -- officials said they discovered evidence that all of the children there were at risk.
But an appellate court last week found that child-welfare officials had overstepped their authority. The Texas Supreme Court agreed, and on Thursday ordered the children released.
"I said from the word go, if there's sex with underage girls, nail their butt," said Griffin. "But nail the right people. We're going to wind up with a $30-million bill here in this little county because these people didn't have their ducks in a row."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Well having worked in the legal system you understand that the CPS can’t raid a compound over allegations without providing evidence in the court hearings...How many men have been arrested in connection or arrest warrants for the perpetrator. I am not trying to be argumentative but still trying to see why people aren’t seeing the slippery slope of government blanket policies.
Yeah they will....oh hold on...theres a mob forming over there, LET’S GO PEOPLE!!!!!
Good luck and their silence on this is deafening. Some are still very sure that this was way out of line and these people don’t deserve rights.
Who's vindicated? Last I heard 18 indictments and some of the minors were still being held and would not be released. [I don't think anybody was expecting with a beleaguered tumbleweed sized law enforcement branch that we were going to see hundreds of indictments in the first round]
And if there are convictions in those cases, that will indeed likely be only the "first round"--even if the cases trail off.
These types of crimes involved an open conspiracy. Some victims may elect to testify against some accomplices (you'll note that Warren Jeffs was convicted as an accomplice to rape). Some perps may be willing to turn state's evidence against other more prominent perps.
Potential second-round and third-round cases will likely rest upon victims and convicted perps' testimonies.
If a FReeper thinks this cult is constitutionally
correct, then I am sure they wouldn’t mind having
their minor age daughters stay there for a week.
IF there are any convictions indeed.
Why are some FReepers so emotional and refuse to see the logic? The Constitution was upheld when the children were returned to the parents. The Constitution was created to protect the people from the government first and foremost...But having such an extensive grasp of the legal system you probably knew that. I am sure many minor aged girls could learn alot from these people. Go ahead and keep playing the same tune that ALL (EVERY SINGLE ONE) these people are guilty.
18 indictments, but against whom? For all you know, all 18 are against CPS workers for kidnapping.
(I don’t know, either - all 18 could be against Warren Jeffs for rape, for all I know)
ONE minor is ordered still held, for two more days. Not SOME, ONE.
And, it was reported, by action of her lawyer against her will.
Who knows.
Here is a tidbit from another article just post by abb -
“None of the 18 indictments returned by a grand jury in Schleicher County on Monday were related to a criminal investigation of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But the Texas Attorney General’s office said that investigation is continuing.”
None of the 18 idictment related to the flds.
Captain Hyperbole Colofornian, please but your dunce cap back on.
Hey, ya don't try to shoot the track athlete w/the starter gun just 'cause he was out of the block a bit early & ya don't shoot the true prophet who forecasts the truth a bit quicker than actual real-time.
From today's Go San Angelo -- the "local" news for folks down Texas way:
Headline: Schleicher County sheriff expects indictments in sect case
By Matt Phinney
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Saying he wants to counteract a "propaganda campaign" by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran this afternoon said he expects indictments in the case.
He also disputed claims by sect officials and spokespeople that the early April raid on the YFZ Ranch was anything but peaceful, denying, for example, a claim that infants were ripped from their mother's arms.
Doran, who said he is talking to only a limited number of media outlets, told the Standard-Times that controversial photos released of sect leader Warren Jeffs deeply kissing the 12-year-old daughter of ranch leader Merrill Jessop are "just the beginning" of evidence likely to be released in the case.
Doran said he expects prosecutors to seek indictments from a Schleicher County grand jury in the case.
Has there been any report on how many of the 400 kids were underage wives/mothers?
Please provide a working link for the article you posted in your response in #29.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2025420/posts?page=29#29
I suffered the same fate as you for atempting to point out the “holes” in the legal case, the apparent unconstitutionality of the warrant and the complete dearth of arrests of sexual abuse suspects on the day of the raid.
People can be extremely vile when they get overly emotional about a subject which challenges some of their dearly held beliefs.
Well I for one can’t think of any crime WORSE than... POSTING THE SAME ARTICLE MORE THAN ONCE AT FREE REPUBLIC!!!!
For SHAME, sir/madam !!! ;^)
Now GO... and sin no more.
(Jeez. Some of us don’t spend 24 hours a day watching evry single thng that gets posted here).
Not that has been posted here. Plenty of conjecture though about how ALL the children are being sent back into immoral family relationships.
I prostrate myself and grovel at your feet my liege!/sarc
It is good to see that some people can still muster a sense of humor ! Keep on the sunny side WayneS!
In my opinion, it did not backfire.
The head “Prophet” has agreed (now that he knows the State can come in unannounced any time and see what’s going on) to stop [bleep]ing and impregnating underage girls; the kids have had some time at the top of the Ferris Wheel to see the world outside their narrow little compound and can now compare what they are told with what they saw (and decide for themselves whether everybody outside their gates is Satanic); and (3) it has become MUCH more difficult for the townspeople to pretend that they have no idea what’s going on inside those gates.
I would call that an expensive way to shoulder open the door to the prison and let the sun shine in...but I would not call it a failure.
Let’s see how many of the girls decide to leave on their own, and how many boys they dump by the roadside like unwanted puppies now that Big Media is Watching.
Someone had to step into these people's world and tell them this is wrong and the good folks of Texas are not going to put up with it.
This might not of been the most intelligent way to approach the situation but, it beat throngs of townspeople with torches and pitchforks storming the gates or worse yet, a Waco-type event.
Right. And now I would like to hear someone going through their cemetery and noting the ages and parents of all those dead babies. Something like that in the 21st century is not normal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.