Texas court seeks more info in FLDS case

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Lawyers for a group of mothers whose children were rounded up in the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch have a 9 a.m. deadline.

The Texas Supreme Court requested a response today by two legal aid groups representing FLDS mothers seeking to have their children returned to them. The high court is deciding whether to uphold or reject a decision by an Austin appellate court that orders the return of more than 100 children to 41 mothers.

"We're dedicated to representing these women throughout this process," said Cynthia Martinez of the Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Society, which is representing 38 FLDS mothers. "If the court needs a response by 9 a.m., they'll get a response by 9 a.m."

Austin's 3rd Court of Appeals ruled the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services improperly removed more than 450 children from the YFZ Ranch during the April raid. The department appealed last week's decision to the high court.

On Wednesday, Texas child welfare authorities filed another appeal and a request for an emergency stay in a case that mirrors the one filed by the 38 FLDS mothers. This latest case involves mothers Louisa Bradshaw, Gladys Mae Jessop and Marie Steed.

Dovetailing on the legal filing by the Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Society, lawyers for Bradshaw, Jessop and Steed sought to have their children returned. When the Austin appellate court ruled, it also granted the request by the three mothers.

"When the court granted theirs, they granted ours for the same reason," attorney John Kennedy with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas told the Deseret News Wednesday.

Texas child welfare authorities said there is a culture of abuse on the YFZ Ranch, with girls groomed to become child brides and boys growing up to be sexual predators. In its motion for an emergency stay, lawyers for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services repeat their arguments that it still has not identified the parents of the FLDS children in custody.

"Louisa Bradshaw identified her children and husband," agency attorney Michael Shulman said in the filing. "Gladys Mae Jessop identified her children but not her husband or the father of her children. Marie Steed identified her children but not her husband or the father of her children."

Texas child welfare lawyers say that establishing those family links is critical to determining whether a home is safe from sexual predators.