However, one case involving a 17-year-old girl with a 14-month-old was recently brought up in court. The hearing was continued because the girl is pregnant and due to give birth soon. A spokesman for the FLDS Church has told the Deseret News there may be a few isolated cases of minors having children, but it is not as widespread as Texas authorities believe.

Other cases

The Jessops' case is just one of many beginning to hit the court system, challenging the mass decision to remove all of the children from the YFZ Ranch and place them in foster care.

The ruling in Austin's 3rd Court of Appeals declaring that CPS officials had acted improperly in removing all of the children has sent shock waves throughout the legal community, but it is unclear how it will affect these other cases. (See related story.)

Another motion was filed in San Antonio on behalf of three fathers, claiming their children are being illegally restrained and that Texas authorities knew going into the raid that the call prompting it was most likely a hoax.

The fathers say there is no evidence their children were abused and they have been denied their rights to hearings and due process.

The raid on the FLDS compound began April 3 when authorities responded to a call from someone claiming to be a 16-year-old girl, pregnant and in an abusive marriage to a 49-year-old man. When law enforcement and child welfare workers responded, they said they saw signs of other abuse — including other pregnant minors.

That prompted a judge to order the removal of all of the children from the property. They are now in foster care facilities across Texas.

Outside the YFZ Ranch on Thursday, the wind howled and kicked up clouds of dust. There were many smiles as people came back from court hearings that had abruptly been canceled 45 miles away in San Angelo.

The FLDS had feared a second raid by CPS, who attempted twice to get on the ranch Wednesday to search for what they believed were more children living on the property. They have been accompanied each time by a Schleicher County sheriff's deputy. Sheriff David Doran told the Deseret News his office was merely assisting in a civil process matter, referring all other inquiries to CPS.

A CPS spokeswoman said she did not know if they would return to the ranch today.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com