Surprise-Surprise, Chaotic Hearing in Polygamist Case BeginsSAN ANGELO, Tex. — Sistahs, accustomed to handling their business while their men are missing in action, are collectively shaking their weaves right about now.
A hearing on the fate of 416 White children birthed by 6 cowardly White men (okay, we're exaggerating... a little) taken in a raid on a polygamist compound descended into chaos on Thursday. That's not surprising, consider police allegedly found papers at the prison, er... compound suggesting one man had 22 wives. The youngest is believed to be 16.
Before the proceedings were recessed after about 45 minutes of wrangling, a lawyer for the state’s Department of Child Protective Services said it would seek psychiatric examinations for the children, as well as genetic testing of both the children and the adults, and would try to have the children relocated to other parts of the state, away from this town in west Texas. Then defense lawyers in the second location started entering a flurry of objections as the state tried to press on with its case.
The request for genetic testing appeared to be a way for officials to establish the family relationships between the children, many of whom appear to be half-brothers and half-sisters, and the adults involved.
"It is a huge logistical problem today," said Tom Vick, a lawyer from Weatherford, Tex., and member of the Access to Justice Commission created by the Texas Supreme Court who helped secure volunteer lawyers to represent the 416 children.
Thursday’s hearing was the first time the state has attempted to present evidence since it persuaded Judge Barbara Walther of Tom Green County to sign an emergency order two weeks ago giving the state custody of the children on the basis of a telephone call from a girl who said that she was a 16-year-old and that she had been raped and beaten by her 50-year-old spiritual husband.
The girl said that she had already had a child with the man and that she might be pregnant again. Under Texas law, children under 16 cannot get married.
After the raid, during which the Department of Child Protective Services took away all the children from the 1,700-acre Yearning for Zion Ranch, authorities searched the buildings on the property, taking documents and computer hard drives as possible evidence.
Since then, the two sides have engaged in what has amounted to a propaganda war.
Members of the polygamous group, calling itself the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, denied that any abuse took place and said the state is prosecuting them because of their faith. They said the remote ranch, with its log cabin-style houses and white temple, is simply a refuge from a hostile and sinful world.
A lawyer representing some of the families questioned whether the girl who reportedly made the original complaint even exists. "Not only have they not found her, but no one around here seems to know who she is, or where it came from or what it’s about,” said the lawyer, Jim Bradshaw of Salt Lake City. “It appears to be created out of thin air."
Janet, a woman at the raided compound in Eldorado, Tex., who declined to give her last name, asserted, “We don’t know who she is."
Because many of the children have similar names and were reluctant to talk to state authorities, family relationships were difficult to sort out. Officials first confiscated all the cellphones held by the children and mothers who went with them to shelter to prevent communication with outsiders. Later, they separated the mothers from children older than 6 in hopes of getting them to talk without a parent in attendance.
Because more than 350 lawyers are involved in the case, many on a voluntary basis, the county courthouse was too small to accommodate them and the members of the church who wanted to attend the hearing. That is why the live video feed was set up at the nearby city hall.
Some lawyers said they expect all sides to make group arguments, rather then individual ones. Nevertheless, some predicted that it would be another day before Judge Walther would decide whether to keep the children in state custody or allow them to return to their homes. [NY Times]
A hearing on the fate of 416 White children birthed by 6 cowardly White men (okay, we're exaggerating... a little) taken in a raid on a polygamist compound descended into chaos on Thursday. That's not surprising, consider police allegedly found papers at the prison, er... compound suggesting one man had 22 wives. The youngest is believed to be 16.
Before the proceedings were recessed after about 45 minutes of wrangling, a lawyer for the state’s Department of Child Protective Services said it would seek psychiatric examinations for the children, as well as genetic testing of both the children and the adults, and would try to have the children relocated to other parts of the state, away from this town in west Texas. Then defense lawyers in the second location started entering a flurry of objections as the state tried to press on with its case.
The request for genetic testing appeared to be a way for officials to establish the family relationships between the children, many of whom appear to be half-brothers and half-sisters, and the adults involved.
"It is a huge logistical problem today," said Tom Vick, a lawyer from Weatherford, Tex., and member of the Access to Justice Commission created by the Texas Supreme Court who helped secure volunteer lawyers to represent the 416 children.
Thursday’s hearing was the first time the state has attempted to present evidence since it persuaded Judge Barbara Walther of Tom Green County to sign an emergency order two weeks ago giving the state custody of the children on the basis of a telephone call from a girl who said that she was a 16-year-old and that she had been raped and beaten by her 50-year-old spiritual husband.
The girl said that she had already had a child with the man and that she might be pregnant again. Under Texas law, children under 16 cannot get married.
After the raid, during which the Department of Child Protective Services took away all the children from the 1,700-acre Yearning for Zion Ranch, authorities searched the buildings on the property, taking documents and computer hard drives as possible evidence.
Since then, the two sides have engaged in what has amounted to a propaganda war.
Members of the polygamous group, calling itself the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, denied that any abuse took place and said the state is prosecuting them because of their faith. They said the remote ranch, with its log cabin-style houses and white temple, is simply a refuge from a hostile and sinful world.
A lawyer representing some of the families questioned whether the girl who reportedly made the original complaint even exists. "Not only have they not found her, but no one around here seems to know who she is, or where it came from or what it’s about,” said the lawyer, Jim Bradshaw of Salt Lake City. “It appears to be created out of thin air."
Janet, a woman at the raided compound in Eldorado, Tex., who declined to give her last name, asserted, “We don’t know who she is."
Because many of the children have similar names and were reluctant to talk to state authorities, family relationships were difficult to sort out. Officials first confiscated all the cellphones held by the children and mothers who went with them to shelter to prevent communication with outsiders. Later, they separated the mothers from children older than 6 in hopes of getting them to talk without a parent in attendance.
Because more than 350 lawyers are involved in the case, many on a voluntary basis, the county courthouse was too small to accommodate them and the members of the church who wanted to attend the hearing. That is why the live video feed was set up at the nearby city hall.
Some lawyers said they expect all sides to make group arguments, rather then individual ones. Nevertheless, some predicted that it would be another day before Judge Walther would decide whether to keep the children in state custody or allow them to return to their homes. [NY Times]