Reader comments
FLDS back out of evidence fight

Good strategy | 5:13 a.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Probably a good idea to avoid this hearing. Even without the issue of standing, they would certainly lose in Barbaraï¿½s court, and will most probably win in Arizona.

Joey | 5:28 a.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Fear not. There are plenty of ways for those charged to challenge the evidence, starting with lacking probable cause to search the temple. Swinton never said she was being held in the Temple, and I'd like to see what evidence they had that suggests that (and I don't mean the innuendo of ex-FLDS who had never been at the ranch). Then we'll talk about bigamy. Unless they truly believe that every single adult on the ranch was involved in a bigamous relationship, they had no probable cause to search each of their homes. And IF they did believe they all were guilty, they would need to fill out separate warrants for each and every family, since it was apparent that they all lived in separate domiciles. The two warrants lack probable cause and specificity; and thus are toast.

common sense | 9:45 a.m. Sept. 23, 2008

After seeing the states evidence for the warrants, I figure Flds has come to the conclusion, its every man for himself.

Comments continue below

Gal50 | 11:40 a.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Perhaps all defendants must file challenges to the search warrant, then one case will go forward ahead of the others and that ruling will apply to all cases.

It seems strange to me to search a premise because of polygamy. If there is an underage drinking party at a home, police don't search the home. At worst, the police would walk into the polygamist home, see three women and one man and arrest them. Maybe police can search entire homes when a felony is committed and polygamy is listed as a felony?

Classifying polygamy as a felony may be a bit discriminatory. Utah and Texas don't bother to charge people with polygamy unless they have committed another crime, it seems. This isn't the way other felony behavior is treated. So, these states don't really think of polygamy as a felony, they just have it on their books as a felony. There's a problem with that.

I can understand searching a home in the case of probable statutory rape. If you consider the compound as one entity then if ten statutory rapes occurred in a middle school, would the entire school be searched? Probably not.

Not even. | 3:15 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Choose to back out? Never! This is just a strategic move to get around Barbie. This battle can and must be fought to make America free, once again. Hopefully there are enough free men, like our founding fathers, left in America today to fight this fight and win, even if it means the overthrowing of the Whigs or Torries of today.

Give me liberty or give me death! Free our children, and preserve our God given rights to live our religion unmolested.

re Not even 3:15pm | 4:21 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

"Free our children, and preserve our God given rights to live our religion unmolested."

If you want the children freed, quit isolating them out in the desert and let them read books so they can figure out what they want to be when they grow up - and then help them achieve that.

And don't talk about molested or unmolested. Every time you tell a girl it's her duty to marry someone, you are molesting her. Molesting her right to a free life and her ability to fall in love and choose her own partner.

You act like the state violated all your rights, but your entire religion is predicated on the violation of people's rights. Don't be so hypocritical.

to NOT EVEN | 5:56 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

You really don't get it do you? YOUR religion violates the rights of others. I wonder if the ability for critical thinking and intelligence has been bred out of you.

Jefferson | 7:14 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

To: "to NOT EVEN" | 5:56 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008
"I wonder if the ability for critical thinking and intelligence has been bred out of you."

Don't you reallize that your own statement shows a lack of intelligence and critical thinking? And as if that were not enough, you reveal yourself as a bigot as well.

Good job.

By the way it says "enter name" not "enter topic". Learn to read.

Jefferson | 7:29 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

To: re Not even 3:15pm | 4:21 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008
"If you want the children freed, quit isolating them out in the desert and let them read books so they can figure out what they want to be when they grow up"

Let them read the books YOU want them to read, so they can grow up like you?

Are you nuts?

Jefferson | 7:34 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

common sense | 9:45 a.m. Sept. 23, 2008
"After seeing the states evidence for the warrants, I figure Flds has come to the conclusion, its every man for himself."

The question you need to ask yourself is, how good does evidence have to be in order to trump the constitution?

Better do some more figuring, friend. Your sense is commoner that you think.

Anonymous | 1:53 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

ARE LAWS FOR (A) COHOUSING, (B) INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES, AND (C) GATED COMMUNITIES APPLICABLE TO POLYGAMISTS? I think and believe they are.

re Jefferson 7:29pm | 3:18 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

let them read ANY books would be good. You people ban ALL books. How stupid is that?

So ALL books are bad? LOL

And no - I don't want them to grow up like me - I want them to grow up and BE THEMSELVES. Not some robot FLDS drone that works construction or makes babies. Why are you so afraid to give them choices? Obviously it's because if you allowed them to think and learn then you wouldn't have any followers.

Food for Thought | 7:10 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

Hello are you nuts??? There are millions of books out there... It's a violation of parental rights to try to dictate what they teach their children. To all you say that give them the right to choose which books they read? that's all right. The only reason the FLDS do not use all the books is because of immorality. SO if you are immoral does that mean that everyone has to be immoral. The parents only filter out immorality to keep their children clean. Reasonable right? When they grow up they have their choice, look at the lost boys, look at carolyn and flora and all the other ex-FLDS. Doesn't that say it all? Common sense speaks for itself. All the lies about immorality among FLDS are only views of biased people who paint their views on it. If you were an honest person and your fried gets mad at you and then says to the world you are a liar? How would you feel? Think about it.

Cheryl Barnes | 7:43 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

Wow! A lot of jumping to conclusions and you guys just don't know what you're even talking about. When I was there, I saw all kinds of reading, using computers, ipods, cell phones, etc. The women and children are very well educated. A good number of them have college degrees. I read notes taken by an 8 year old during his captivity that were very articulate, very detailed, and in great penmanship. I was so impressed with everyone, I can't even begin to describe it. And the food there was AWESOME!!

Gramzi Jessop | 11:16 a.m. Sept. 25, 2008

Cheryl Barnes, you must be a lady with the ability to find out for yourself, instead of depending upon the emotional media for erstwhile "factoids". Too bad some of the others who posted on this blog haven't that capacity. Perhaps they could check into night classes.

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