FLDS - polygamous sect

Just came into cnn.com:

AP: Appeals court rules Texas had no right to seize hundreds of children from polygamous sect. (I had a feeling that was gonna be found to be the case)

I saw this and I say so what. What's the court going to do about it, waaahh. They waited way too long to remove the kids from from sicko 50 somethings that are impregnating the girls.

Court: Texas had no right to take polygamists' kids

May 22 01:31 PM US/Eastern
SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - An appeals court has ruled that Texas had no right to seize hundreds of children from polygamous sect. Earlier, it was reported that half the mothers from a polygamist sect that Texas child welfare authorities put in foster care as children have now been declared adults.

Attorneys for Child Protective Services say 15 of the 31 mothers are adults. One is actually 27.

Another girl listed as an underage mother is 14, but the state has conceded she is not pregnant and does not have a child.

The underage mothers had been cited as evidence that the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints committed widespread sexual abuse of girls.

State officials raided a ranch run by a polygamist sect in west Texas. Their contention that abuse was widespread led to the removal of more than 460 children.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I am just afraid for those children that b/c they were taken illegally, could possibly be given back b/c someone screwed up. I said I had a feeling b/c, all the reports etc, say, they (???) knew about the sect and what was going on but could not do anything about it without breaking laws. What little I do know about the sect is that they are very very good at covering theirs asses!!!

I can't see them giving them back at this point. But some pretty strange things have happened here in the good ole U.S. of A.

I saw this coming as well. They cant prove probably cause as they havent located the individual who called, nor can they prove that she existed. While the phone call may have been probabale cause to search the ranch, maybe even have private interviews, they are on Very tenuous ground with the taking of the children... the very fact that the children are not of consenting age to make decisions such as where they wish to stay, they likely wont have a choice but to return them to the ranch until they can prove a crime.

I'm by no means defending these individuals, just saying that the authorities seem to have acted outside their authority in this case.

ruled a wrong move taking them today..but think the prosecutors have a month to relook their issues. i am concerned about all the pre-teen boys they boot out onto the streets and the girls who think being a spirit bride is the way to heaven...

This is a sad day for all these children. I am sure we still do not know the whole story on what goes on behind those gates.

pez wrote:I saw this coming as well. They cant prove probably cause as they havent located the individual who called, nor can they prove that she existed. While the phone call may have been probabale cause to search the ranch, maybe even have private interviews, they are on Very tenuous ground with the taking of the children... the very fact that the children are not of consenting age to make decisions such as where they wish to stay, they likely wont have a choice but to return them to the ranch until they can prove a crime.

I'm by no means defending these individuals, just saying that the authorities seem to have acted outside their authority in this case.

Looks like you and I are on the same page with this issue. I hate the situation that the children are in, they were ripped from the only thing they know (regardless of its horribleness) and all they want, is to go home. Not allowing them to, will affect the rest of their lives, but at the same time allowing them to go back to that horribleness is just as bad for them.

I felt the same about the War in Iraq... going or not going, either way it was gonna be bad in the end. So far, everything I said about this war is true... We will be there AT LEAST 10 yrs and in the end, the differences made (if any) will not come close to the loss, etc we incure.

iberlingirl wrote:Looks like you and I are on the same page with this issue. I hate the situation that the children are in, they were ripped from the only thing they know (regardless of its horribleness) and all they want, is to go home. Not allowing them to, will affect the rest of their lives, but at the same time allowing them to go back to that horribleness is just as bad for them.

"will affect the rest of their lives" and you don't think all the 'daddies' impregnating these young teenagers hasn't done any harm to them?

I hope the allegations are proven (dna) to be true and all the sick individuals sleeping with these 13-15 yr girls get their nuts cut off and go to jail for a long time.

If things prove out to be true, then the mothers ought to be thrown in jail also for permitting it also.

LTRT wrote:

iberlingirl wrote:Looks like you and I are on the same page with this issue. I hate the situation that the children are in, they were ripped from the only thing they know (regardless of its horribleness) and all they want, is to go home. Not allowing them to, will affect the rest of their lives, but at the same time allowing them to go back to that horribleness is just as bad for them.

"will affect the rest of their lives" and you don't think all the 'daddies' impregnating these young teenagers hasn't done any harm to them?

I hope the allegations are proven (dna) to be true and all the sick individuals sleeping with these 13-15 yr girls get their nuts cut off and go to jail for a long time.

If things prove out to be true, then the mothers ought to be thrown in jail also for permitting it also.

I don't think that I even implied that.
My point is, there is no easy way for this case to go. I think that these children DO NOT NEED TO BE RETURNED.... but what about these children that have children, do they stay together in foster care? What about the girl that they have featured on CNN today, she is 18yo and has two children, one b4 she turned 18 and one since she turned 18. Legally she can go where she wants to, but TX will not allow her to take her children with her. Her situation is just one of many "splitting hair" situations to come with these children and what will happen to them. And what about the women that can still bare children that are still at the compound, they will have children and those child will be raised in the same type horribleness and in 14 yrs or so, those children will be having children, where and how, does it end...

I guess, what I am getting at is, this is WAY bigger than I think that anyone can wrap their head around. It is not as simple as taking these children away and punishing who harmed them. This is a lifestyle/mindframe that has been going on for many many years however WRONG it is.

Looks like some are already going back....

NEW: Agency agrees to reunite 12 children with their families

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/23/flds.next/index.html

LTRT wrote:

iberlingirl wrote:Looks like you and I are on the same page with this issue. I hate the situation that the children are in, they were ripped from the only thing they know (regardless of its horribleness) and all they want, is to go home. Not allowing them to, will affect the rest of their lives, but at the same time allowing them to go back to that horribleness is just as bad for them.

"will affect the rest of their lives" and you don't think all the 'daddies' impregnating these young teenagers hasn't done any harm to them?

I hope the allegations are proven (dna) to be true and all the sick individuals sleeping with these 13-15 yr girls get their nuts cut off and go to jail for a long time.

If things prove out to be true, then the mothers ought to be thrown in jail also for permitting it also.

Very well said. Thank You

Its wierd that they think they can call it another name and think its ok to do this to children

and their are not just in Utah they are all over

Instead of the war on drugs it should be the war on these evil people

Newest Update
Court clears way for sect kids to go home
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/29/texas.polygamists/index.html

First they have to dna test everyone to figure out who belongs to whom lol

that will be a good one

this is the latest i have seen on the topic.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories

Sect Case Judge Won't Sign Reunion Order
Court Refuses To Sign Agreement To Reunite Polygamist Sect Parents With Children

(CBS/ AP) In a surprise move, the Texas Supreme Court judge in the polygamist sect child custody case refused to sign the order releasing the children until after all the lawyers and their clients could agree on it, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan.

Anxious members of the El Dorado polygamist sect came to court Friday with hopes of being reunited with their children, who were taken from the Yearning for Zion Ranch by the state's Child Protective Services nearly two months ago. The agreement would have returned more than 400 children to their parents by the end of next week.

But the court set preconditions for the children's release, including:

Parents must be photographed when they pick up their child.

Parents must agree to unannounced home visits as Child Protective Services continues to investigate sexual abuse.


Children cannot leave the state of Texas or even travel 60 miles without permission.

And not all the children would be allowed to go home, as lawyers expect Child Protective Services to keep custody of a handful of girls that they believe were younger than the legal age of 16 when they married or became pregnant.

"It appears to be a fair compromise to me," said Court Coordinator Guy Choate. "I mean, the children are going back ※ that's what everyone said they wanted. Everyone said they wanted the child not to be injured, not to be harmed, not to be subject to child sexual abuse. If you take everyone at their word this order will ensure that occurs."

Several lawyers pleaded with the court to reunite the kids this weekend, but the court said it was better to take the time, and get everything done right - putting the reunions on hold.

The key investigation now appears focused on Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. An affidavit filed in Arizona charges that Jeffs married two 12-year-old girls and two 14-year-old girls before his arrest two years ago.