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FLDS teen seeking a new lawyer

Malonis says they have a working relationship. Seems not. Just last week Teresa complained on the voices for the children FLDS site petition to set her friend free, as follows: "When I was at High Sky my sweet attorney was looking into making me have to stay in state custody alone for a little longer. The thought made me sick and almost made me go out of my mind. "
Note the sarcasm regarding her attorney. In any event, Teresa is 17. Why does this matter? It's the age of consent, bringing into question the need to make decisions on her behalf regarding sexual matters; and secondly, Walther ruled a couple weeks ago that a 17 year old, the son of Barbara Jessop, was old enough to take care of himself.

At the very minimum an attorney should follow his/her clients wishes.
I would be terrified if my very freedom was at stake --- foster care can be worse than prison, at least in prison you are allowed to keep in contact by letters with anyone you want to. In foster care they remove contact with everyone from your "old" life. ----
If my very freedom was at stake and my lawyer went against me in all my desires, then I would assume that in the great free US of A, I could get a lawyer to represent ME.
This isn't happening to Teresa Jeffs. Her lawyer is trying to act like the DA or prosecuting attorney.

Sure Malonis has a duty........a duty to mind her own business and leave the 17 year old girl alone. Teresa will testify that she has never had sexual relations with Raymond......another case of child abuse solved.
I guess we have another instance of making something from nothing.
What a waste of time and money.

It's not like Teresa is asking she not be appointed any attorney ad litem, she's asking she be appointed a new one who will listen to their client and not fight her at every turn. She's asking to have proper representation for the Grand Jury, something that should be done by a criminal attorney, not a family court attorney who by all her actions so far, is batting for the prosecution. She's asking for the same rights as any other US citizen. One must question the court, the States and Malonis' agenda in not allowing what is really a simple request. If Teresa had not been Warren Jeffs daughter, would we be seeing a 17 year old having to go to court and fight to have another ad litem appointed? Would we be seeing her personal life and court information leaked to the press as we have not seen done in the case of the 400 plus other young persons involved in this mess? I hope we don't see this fight go on until she's 18 and sweetly tells Malonis, the court and the State of Texas all to go to hell and get out of her life.

Teresa Jeffs is the same age as Bristol Palin. I wonder if Judge Walther cares about that. If Bristol was FLDS, she would be on her way to foster care.

It's hard to take Teresa seriously as an adult when every comment she makes sounds either rude or sarcastic and I have yet to see her without a disgusted look on her face.

Actually, she comes across as exactly what she is: a sheltered, albeit mouthy, teenager who doesn't know what's best for herself.

Let the girl go home to her mother. Why do we care? She's 17 now.

It's not like any of these people are going to make any kind of contribution to society. After so much inbreeding, the average IQ is probably under a hundred.

So the (relatively) smart ones will get out first chance, and the others will (and should) stay. Society has enough problems without adding a few thousand dueling-banjo children to the mix.

I do feel bad for the young children, never really understanding the real world, never getting a decent education, no chance for life outside the clan, only learning (line by line) every rule ever invented from the book of mormon and the bible. Never to understand that the books are user guides, not operating manuals.

But once they're 16 or 17 and if they still can think coherently, then they will run for the hills. And really those are the only ones we want out here anyway. The rest only need to know the difference between a 2" nail and a 5" nail, or how to tell when their water breaks.

Send the girl home and leave these people alone. It's a win-win situation.

Re:Anonymous;Do you know what is best for this young
lady? She states she is not, nor has been sexually abused. Do you know for sure, either way. If she says,her attorney is not properly representing her, by what standard can you,or any of us say different.
I must have missed something in civics class. I was under the impression, that an attorney should work with, and represent their client, not the state.

You must have missed something in civics. Attorneys for minors work for the best interests of their client, not necessarily at their client's directives.

The FLDS "state" a lot of things. They are quite comfortable with lying to the public. I doubt Teresa would have ever admitted her 'marriage' to Raymond at age fifteen if there wasn't already ample proof of it from her father's writings.

Anon is correct. Attorneys do not represent the wishes of minor children, but represent the best interest of the minor children. Some people probably believe that Teresa Jeffs had sexual intercourse with Raymond Jessop. Given the photos of her father tongue kissing 12 year-olds, it seems reasonable to suppose that there is some sort of sexual activity between these children and their adult husbands. At any rate, Teresa Jeffs may be unable to provide an honest account of Raymond's sexual behavior toward her and therefore, caution must be taken. She should not have been married to this older man and it is clear that she was. Malonis is correct in her actions.

Bristol Palin's pregnancy is completely different. It is clear that no one assigned her to her boyfriend or indoctrinated her to wish to have sex or become pregnant at such a young age. The statements by her mother are typical of statements any mother outside the FLDS would make. Outside the FLDS, parents don't want their teen children to become pregnant.

Given that Teresa Jeffs is 17, it is important for the judge to consider what she is going to do when she is 18.

Well, Gal50, it appears then the premise for this ad litem arrangement is that the state always knows what's best for a child and not the child's parents. Might as well force every one to sign over custody rights of their children to the state at birth in exchange for secondary guardianship rights, right? It seems that's the case. The state has no solid proof Teresa was abused, yet they have moved to put her in foster care, terminate her mother's custody rights, etc., etc. Apparently the state has assumed the role of parent for all children, and just "knows" what's in their best interest. Gee, living in Texas is like living in a big cult, if you ask me. There, rant finished.

isn't it bad enough that these people waste their entire lives hidden away and praying 24/7, hoping they are considered "special" on the other side?

do we really need to pile on more grief? should we really be spending tax-payer money on a people that are never going anywhere anyway?

I'm simply amused that they are willing to throw away everything God gave them, and hide in their little holes, and then think they are honoring Him. He's gotta be disappointed (to put it nicely) that they would waste his gift of life. You only get one (or so they say).

And did you really think isolation and repression of children (and the ocassional pimping) is a ticket to the big show? Come on - no one can be that niave.

but hey - freedom of religion - do your thing, FLDS. Just try not to pimp them out under the age of 16 or 17. That's not even good parenting.

Oh - and by the way - NO MEANS NO. So the next little girl that says she doesn't want to marry her uncle or stepfather, cut her a break and let her find her own husband.

Re:anon & Gal50; I understand that this attorney is to represent the "Best intrest of the Minor", however, in this situation it appears that this relationship may have broken down. It might be prudent that the court allow Teresa a new attorney, that she would feel more comfortable with. Unless the court is afraid of something coming to light, that they would rather keep suppressed.
The most important issue is, Teresa's rights and her
welfare.Even at 17, she is to be afforded her Constitutional Rights, all of them.

It is none of the judge's business what she chooses to do when she is 18. This girl should not have to suffer from the misguided efforts of the state of Texas to force their ethics and agenda down her throat. Please don't assume that these FLDS people are stupid simply because their ideas of how to live their lives is different from yours and mine. There are plenty of folks in this country who choose to live a simpler life style, and from what I've read, the foster homes and schools they placed these children into had to put them in advance of the general population in classes because their home schooling is superior. A good number of the mothers are college grads and very bright.

if her rights and welfare are the most important issue, then obviously she shouldn't go back to parents that just want a baby machine. how would that be in her best interest?

and her constitutional rights directly conflict with her parents constitutional rights. How do you reconcile the two? or do children have no constitutional right to a reasonable future?

Teresa Jeffs: daughter of a hardened pedophile.. her "marriage" the day after she turned 15 was with a few hours' notice, to a man at least 36, who has other "concubines"/wives..HIS dad has teen "wives" (he is 72.) Teresa's letters to"husband" show unbridled enthusiasm to "get together"-- that's what Malonis is attempting to deal with. All flds kids are indeed groomed to accept whatever relationship is foisted upon them, as cps correctly deduced after interviewing numerous kids at the ranch and after taken to town. Several girls answered there is no age too young for marriage for a girl, when asked by state workers. I have spent thousands of hours looking into this group. They have created a society so infatuated with child marriage, polygamy, and frequent childbirth that no one can understand their mindset from a more typical worldview . They are fixated on the "prophet" basically as their God, and will abandon children, everything, at any of his whim-driven dictates. He is most iterested in continuing the "mystery" of his wisdom in their eyes. A little girl at yfz said she had a 15 yr old sister in midst of fifth pregnancy.Think this is all okey-dokey?

Joey, it DOES appear, in this case, that the state knows what's best for a child and not the child's parents. Permitting and encouraging a 15-year-old girl to enter into a relationship with a 35+ married man demonstrates shockingly bad parental judgement. There is proof of this relationship in Warren Jeffs' writings, Teresa's diary, her leters and photos. I believe this isn't the only underage 'marriage' her parents have condoned, either.

reality and re: cosmo, you are making judgement calls based on the premise that a "reasonable future" entails 1) going to public school, 2) going to college, 3) getting a job; which goes for both male and female. That's what the state wants these children to do, and what it will force or "strongly encourage." In other words, the state wants to make them slaves. See? It's all a matter of perspective. The notion of "freedom" depends on one's perspective/bias.

Re:re;There is nothing obvious. This young lady is to be afforded,"Authentic Due Process",nothing less.
Also, there is no such thing as a constitutional right to a reasonable future.
I addressed that,there appears to be a conflict with
her appointed attorney, and I suggested a possible way to address that issue.
As far as to where, and how the young lady at issue
lives, will be up to the court, then when she is 18
the court is irrelevant.

The Deseret News should stop saying that CASA is an independent orginization. In the FLDS case CASA has done nothing but rubber stamp every move made by CPS.