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Judge Delays Reunions for Sect Families

By MICHELLE ROBERTS,
Posted: 2008-05-31 09:36:48
Filed Under: Nation News
SAN ANGELO, Texas (May 30) - Parents' hopes of quick reunions with more than 400 children removed from a polygamist sect's ranch were dashed Friday after their attorneys and a judge clashed over proposed restrictions.

A decision by Texas District Judge Barbara Walther means that to regain custody, the 38 mothers who filed the complaint that led the Texas Supreme Court to reject the state's massive seizure must personally sign an agreement their attorneys and state child-welfare officials have proposed.

That could add days to the process, attorneys for some of the other mothers likely affected by the decision said, because the women are scattered across the state to be close to their children in foster care.

"It's not as simple as going across the street and setting up a booth," said attorney Andrea Sloan, who represents several young FLDS women and minors who contend they should be reclassified as adults.

Walther had wanted to add restrictions to the agreement worked out by the parents' attorneys and Texas Child Protective Services, but the parents' attorneys argued that she didn't have the authority.

What's Your Take?

The judge then said she would sign the initial document, but only after all 38 mothers involved in the case the high court ruled on signed it first.

Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for legal aid attorneys representing those mothers, said the requirement was unexpected but attorneys would meet over the weekend and decide what the next step is.

"We're still working to get the children back," she said. "We're going to keep going through the process. We're going to keep working with CPS and the courts to get these families back together."

State officials had said earlier that children could start being returned Monday, but attorneys for the parents said the new requirement made timing for the reunions uncertain.

The high court on Thursday affirmed an appeals court ruling ordering Walther to reverse her decision last month putting all children from the Yearning For Zion Ranch into foster case. The Supreme Court and the appeals court rejected the state's argument that all the children were in immediate danger from what it said was a cycle of sexual abuse of teenage girls at the ranch.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which runs the west Texas ranch, denies any abuse of the children, who were seized in a raid nearly two months ago. Church officials say they are being persecuted for their religious beliefs.

A draft agreement released by CPS attorney Gary Banks earlier Friday said the parents could get their children back beginning Monday after showing identification and pledging to take parenting classes and remain in Texas.

State officials had reached the tentative agreement with the 38 mothers, who have 124 children in custody, and had agreed that the order would be extended to all but a few specific children.

The last-minute snag was a blow to parents who had thought hundreds of happy reunions were imminent.

"There was an opportunity today for relief in this, and it was not granted," said Willie Jessop, an FLDS elder.

Laura Shockley, an attorney for several children and mothers not part of the original appellate court case, predicted more filings Monday in the court that originally ruled against the state's action, the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Austin. That court ordered Walther to allow the children to return to their parents in a reasonable time.

Under the deal CPS released, the families won't be able to leave Texas until Aug. 31 but would be allowed to move back to the ranch. It also calls for parenting classes and visits by CPS to interview children and parents in the child abuse investigation.

Walther wanted to remove the August deadline and provide for psychological evaluations of the children. She also wanted it specified that parents can't travel more than 60 miles from their residence without 48 hours' notice. She also wanted CPS to have access to the ranch and the children at all times necessary for any investigation.

Walther ruled last month that the children should be placed in foster care after a chaotic custody hearing involving hundreds of lawyers representing the individual children and parents.

The Third Court of Appeals last week that the state failed to show that any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and had offered no evidence of sexual or physical abuse against the other children.

Texas officials claimed at one point that there were 31 teenage girls at the ranch who were pregnant or had been pregnant, but later conceded that about half of those mothers, if not more, were adults. One was 27.

Roughly 430 children from the ranch are in foster care after two births, numerous reclassifications of adult women initially held as minors and a handful of agreements allowing parents to keep custody while the Supreme Court considered the case.

The FLDS, which teaches that polygamy brings glorification in heaven, is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.

In an ongoing criminal investigation separate from the custody dispute, Texas authorities collected DNA swabs Thursday from sect leader Warren Jeffs. A search warrant for the DNA alleges that Jeffs had "spiritual" marriages with four girls, ages 12 to 15.

Jeffs, who is revered as a prophet, is serving a prison sentence for a Utah conviction of being accomplice to rape in the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to a 19-year-old sect member. He awaits trial in Arizona on similar charges.

Associated Press writer Jim Vertuno in Austin contributed to this report.

2008-05-29 17:28:26
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3628 comments

brendmann4 03:48:26 PM Jun 02 2008

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How many FEDS do we have in here? I have spotted a few supects. Would someone throw these pigs some donuts. Until the FEDS show respect, then they will get NO respect. LDS WAS AN INSIDE JOB !!!!!!!!

brendmann4 03:18:57 PM Jun 02 2008

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wrjatalley...I'm NOT from Texas and as for taxes......I'm retired , I don't have to pay taxes. An ambulance chaser...lmao.....wrong again idiot. I do know that you are a sheeple.......I bet you don't believe in chemtrails either, and you probably believe everything the tyrrant government tells you. The LDS takeover WAS a false flag, just like with Waco. Also, the Jeff's case IS a seperate case......this raid happened because of a bogus call .....get it right.
Can you say "bahhhhaaaaa"?

davidmaco812 02:14:26 PM Jun 02 2008

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400 children KIDNAPED !!! THATS THE WAY I SEE IT!! OUR GOV IS OUT OF CONTROL ANYMORE!! IF THEY CAN WALK IN AND TAKE 400 children, ASK YOUR SELF THIS HOW SAFE ARE YOU OR YOUR KIDS IN THE USA?????

dbgarcia17 01:40:16 PM Jun 02 2008

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jarsd43- Their lawyers need to make sure that these people understand that their own actions resulted in this farce, the government did not do the crime to make this happen. The world will not stand by and accept what they are doing to their children. Unless the parents accept responsibility for what has happened then no, they don't deserve their children back.
___________________________________________
What planet are you from?! "The world will not stand by"..........Most of the world agrees that these people have done nothing wrong by marrying children- most of the world still does. Only in the HSA- Hypocritical States of America- could everybody get into an uproar over something that has nothing to do with them. And the argument that these children will grow up one day and impact our society- they haven't had ANYTHING to do with our society for over 100 years, nor do they want anything to do with our society- so that argument is mute.

dbgarcia17 01:38:49 PM Jun 02 2008

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jarsd43 09:02:09 AM Jun 02 2008

Report This! It is not too much to expect for the parents involved to agree on paper as well as verbally that they woud not break the law with their children. As horrible as removing the children was, it is also horrible for children to continue to be sexually exploited by adults and have it called "religion". Their lawyers need to make sure that these people understand that their own actions resulted in this farce, the government did not do the crime to make this happen. The world will not stand by and accept what they are doing to their children. Unless the parents accept responsibility for what has happened then no, they don't deserve their children back.
___________________________________________
What planet are you from?! "The world will not stand by"..........Most of the world agrees that these people have done nothing wrong by marrying children- most of the world still does. Only in the HSA- Hypocritical States of America- could everybody get i

dbgarcia17 01:27:48 PM Jun 02 2008

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Kudos to the Supreme Court. Send the children home where they belong!
Just remember everyone- if the children don't go home, you KNOW the FLDS Canada
and FLDS Mexico are just going to send over some new "child brides". It is not going
away and no one can stop it and I'M LOVING IT.

softailchick61 12:13:30 PM Jun 02 2008

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I am a educator with a masters degree, a feminist and I am also Pagan, which thankfully, allows me the freedom to let others live their lives as they ********* is not me who will judge. However, as an educator, I HAVE to say that if you put 420 children/teens in any mainstream location, you would have at LEAST one pregnant girl under the age of 18, and possbily several depending on the location. My point being, that none of you can say our mainstream society is any better at handling our children and the things they do. And no one has proven that the fathers of these babies are "old men". This "witchhunt" attitude is the same kind of thing that caused the burning deaths of innocent women several hundred years ago. I am appalled and ashamed to think we have not gained any intelligence, restraint, or acceptance since then. So its not the way YOU would live !! These people dont care what you think ! No more than you care what they think about your life. Difference is..They are no

highjackerjcw 12:02:50 PM Jun 02 2008

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The strange and over-looked part of all of this is. WHERE ARE THE FATHERS? wHY DON'T THEY SHOW UP AND CLAIM THEIR CHILDREN? Are they scared that it will look bad? Or maybe there are not as many fathers as mothers.

mrskravitz4u1 11:37:27 AM Jun 02 2008

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garybeltz, what does the oil market have to do with the issue here? We're talking about the life and well being of 400 or so children....can't you take your financial drivel on the oil market somewhere more appropriate?

wolftung4u 11:35:56 AM Jun 02 2008

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Oh yea that evil "religion" eeeeewee ,........Yep that "cursed golden rule" ..,,the so called "10 commandments" are just a devastating all us innocent folk !!!! SOME NERVE! Always trying to tell US how to live ,.... and how about that mean old Jesus dude ,,HMMPH!, who does he think he is anyhow!!! Yea I'm sure THATS the only thing wrong with the world,,,,,yup,,,,,duh,... er... it is that ..that RELIGION..DUH..er?

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