From Deseret News archives:

2 FLDS marshals may lose badges

Published: Friday, Dec. 7, 2007 12:50 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
SANDY — Two marshals from the Fundamentalist LDS border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., will face disciplinary action over their loyalties to polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs.

The Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council decided Thursday to move ahead with an administrative law hearing next month to formally take the badges of Hildale/Colorado City town marshals Fred Barlow and Preston Barlow.

"We're looking to schedule a default hearing," Utah POST investigator Steve Winward said Thursday. "We're looking to have it all finalized in March."

The two officers' certifications were revoked in Arizona back in September, and they resigned from the town marshal's office a short time later. Yet the POST Council has decided to proceed with the hearings.

"Do we have to do a default hearing? Can't we just take action on it?" Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff asked.

"As per our administrative rules and guidelines, it's recommended we do this. It's just so the process is clean," Winward replied.

The marshals in Hildale and Colorado City have faced continuous scrutiny over their loyalties to Jeffs, who is now serving a 10-to-life sentence in the Utah State Prison for rape as an accomplice, stemming from a marriage he performed between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.

Story continues below
On Wednesday, Jeffs' defense attorneys announced that he had resigned as "president" of the FLDS Church, but it is unclear if he is still the sect's prophet. Marshal Fred Barlow wrote a letter seeking guidance from Jeffs when the FLDS leader was still a fugitive on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

"I love you and acknowledge you as my priesthood head," Barlow wrote in the letter that eventually found its way into the hands of Arizona POST officials.

Deputy Utah POST director Scott Stephenson told the Deseret Morning News that neither Fred Barlow or Preston Barlow are cooperating with investigators.

"They have not sent back any kind of consent agreement or even let us know that they were not going to sign a consent agreement," he said. "They're basically not replying to anything."


E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

BYU eager for crack at Oregon State

Keep it clean or go join the Crimson Line!

BCS reform still needed

I think that the TCU and Boise State teams should agree to not play the game....

BYU eager for crack at Oregon State

No, Maxie will not make it. He'll be QBing for Utah since their QB couldn't...

I would hate it if the Jazz end up having a record that warrants only one...

Fewer bees mean fewer plants get pollinated which means less food. What do...

I ask with sincerity, who of you 59 commenting have read Palin's book? Write...

A woman shouldn't have an abortion, because of the right's of the child -...

TCU versus BSU unpopular

BYU Fan & BCS Cowards, I agree, they should withdraw to make a point but...

Everybody whines every time we get the invite to the Vegas Bowl, why? Here is...

Utahn aiding poor

Louis has inspired me to be passionately involved with the poor both with my...

Advertisements