Attorneys in Eldorado case agree to third party

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Attorneys for the FLDS Church and some of its leaders reached an agreement in court with prosecutors Wednesday over evidence seized at the YFZ Ranch.

During a two-hour court hearing the attorneys agreed to sift through the evidence with the assistance of an unbiased third party to determine what information collected at the ranch is pertinent to the case involving alleged sexual abuse and neglect of children.

"Anything that is seized will be sealed and separated," said Gerald Goldstein, attorney for the church and Lyle Jeffs, the brother of FLDS president Warren Jeffs.

The FBI is now at the ranch serving a third search warrant signed by a federal judge. Because of the recent warrant, the attorneys arguments to put a stop to the two previous warrants is now considered moot. "It seems to me that there is another work (warrant) in progress that whatever we ask the court for today is really now a moot point," Goldstein said.

Goldstein declined to talk about the raid on the polygamist compound, despite dozens of reporters asking for the FLDS side of the story.

The hearing mostly focused on minute legal issues. The unbiased third party has yet to be determined but it was mentioned it could possibly be a retired state judge.

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