Reader comments
Texas grand jury hands down 5 more indictments in FLDS case

Anonymous | 12:00 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Yeah, the indictees didn't respond to subpoenas and probably can't be located. Finally, we're going after Merrill and the rest of the men on the run. Hooray!!!!

GiGi13 | 2:45 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Very interesting! I wonder how many more months that they'll be having Grand Jury?

Steve | 3:13 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

I wonder when we'll see indictments for violations of the unalienable rights of the FLDS in the raid and tearing apart of families without due process of law.

Comments continue below

Kev | 3:19 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

I'm so happy they are getting these men who are women abusers. It's way past time on putting a stop to FLDS slavery! NO woman deserves this treatment!

stillinut84651 | 3:30 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Texas has done what Utah failed to do. Called a spade a spade; or in this case bigamy....non of this spiritual marriage stuff. These unions produce real live physical babies. These are dirty old men who want sweet young inocent babies producing babies.

Sharon | 3:42 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

AMEN...Kev and Anonymous !!

Wheels of Justice | 3:48 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Grinding slowly, but, steadily toward justice for the victims.

Cats | 3:59 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Amen to "Wheels of Justice." The wheels grind slowly, but they do grind. I believe eventually these victimized women and children will receive justice. I just hope something can be done to stop the sickness that has gone on for genenrations within the FLDS community. These people need help and this might be their only hope.

chemist | 4:02 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

GiGi13:
"I wonder how many more months that they'll be having Grand Jury? "

At least 2 more months. Sessions are scheduled for No. and Dec.

Anonymous | 4:09 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Future Republican Congressman.

Jim | 4:49 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Hey guys! I'm with all of you who are against polygamy. I'm so tired of hearing about Flds and how they use God for their sick, vile, slave practices. Anyone with a brain knows GOD has nothing to do with this abusive practice our enslaving women. Using God for such a practice is quite dangerous. He knows who these deviates are and they will be judged harshly in the end.

laughing | 4:56 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

lol

I wonder how many of the women and children feel like they've been victimized?

They've had enough months away from the men and the ranch, that if they were suffering any type of Stocholm Syndrome, they would be over it -

If they feel like they were sexually assaulted/victimized you'd think they'd be flocking to Nancy Grace, Oprah, or some other talk show or writing about it like those infamous tabloid writers...

So far... Not one woman or 'underaged' bride has come forward to issue a complaint.

They do seem to be banding more and more tightly together - which is what one expert said a LONG time ago would happen.

Huh. An expert that really knew what they were talking about.

Ah well...gotta love America. We spend more time ripping families apart than encouraging them to stay together.

Denis | 5:13 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

To laughing,
Bad habits are some times hard to give up. It will be the younger FLDS kids who will benefit someday and realize how crazy polygamy was-- not their parents. The parents are beyond mental help. They have lived this twisted abusive lifestyle all their lives and don't know any better. What a shame if this abuse is not stopped.

to Laughing | 5:25 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Well let's see who has the last laugh. Hopefully it is the victims who remained silent only because of intimidation. It will be interesting to see if they will remain so silent when the fear of FLDS is removed from their lives.

tigerlily | 5:30 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

meriil jessop has turned himself in a long time ago and it is only bigamy if there is legal paperwork for a marriage otherwise the women or is just a mistress

it's about time | 5:49 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

I was so sick of hearing them blame the women for the sick mental, spiritual and sexual abuses they were suffering. They were all brainwashed victims themselves. Who knows when or if they will ever heal; there will always be people pointing the finger at them.

re tigerlily | 5:53 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

better brush up on your law, homegirl

Wishing Well | 6:04 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

I think they will need a whole lot more than wishing wells to get out of this one.

Also to Laughing | 6:06 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

What a sad day that someone can laugh about any kind of abuse.

It is a well known fact that abused women stay with the abusers out of fear. Fear that the abuser will come after them or their children, fear of being alone or no way to take care of themselves and their children.

It is also well know that abused children will not tell if they are being abused. Again out of fear.

tigerlily, I believe that latter day saints teach the law of chastity. So if they have a mistress, I believe that they are not following the commandments, which would be grounds for ex-communication. MJ may have turned himself in but he is also charged with sexual assault. I think that is a pretty serious charge by itself.

Texas, just remember, the tortise won the race. Take your time, and lock up the sexual abusers and throw away the key.

To Warren Jeffs | 6:08 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

If you are really so sorry for all the abuse you've done and believe you are not the true prophet, then you should also be willing to testify against your pedophile friends in the FLDS like Merril and Willie. I hope you are truly as repentent as you say and help put them away for life.

griz | 6:29 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

to all of you be careful how you talk about a prophet have you all ready forgotten the last hurricane. it may happen to you.

Gal50 | 6:33 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Texas said it had ten possible cases and now it looks like it has built eight of those cases, with two left to go. The November grand jury will be interesting because there are only two indictments left. Any other charges will be associated with polygamy or failure to protect.

It appears that Merril has not been indicted yet because he challenged the evidence and he can't do that because he isn't a defendant. His charges may come down the pipeline later than all of the others because the evidence suit has to be dismissed first.

Also it is unclear how many charges he will face. There certainly should be some.

zxcvbnm | 6:52 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

I guess the ole Merril is running or in hideing crowd will tone it down now that Merril has filed his paperwork and then recinded it.
Merril is with his lawyer and as of now is unindited......

To: it's about time | 7:54 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

Everything you said in your post is what people outside Mormonland say about LDS women. Poor brainwashed, abused, submissive women. It drives me crazy when people say that. But maybe I've been brainwashed with evil LDS doctrine...

to Griz | 8:46 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

"to all of you be careful how you talk about a prophet have you all ready forgotten the last hurricane. it may happen to you.". You are a perfect example of someone who is intimidated from free and critical thinking because of fear of retribution from Warren Jeffs. You would rather that the abuse he has done goes unnoticed so that he doesn't punish you. Doesn't sound like a healthy religion to me. I am just repeating what Warren Jeffs said about himself. Don't you think if we don't believe what he said about him not being a prophet then he will punish us again?

to XCVBNM | 8:59 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

I think they are strategically saving indicting Merril for last. Bust the small guys first and they will give plea deal and bear witness against him. The small guys also do not have access to the funds and lawyers as Merrill so do Merrill last when you have the most witnesess. That is how the DEA infiltrates crack dealers. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

tigerlily | 10:58 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

better brush up on your law, homegirl

i know what the law is

tigerlily | 11:01 p.m. Sept. 23, 2008

the flds are NOT latterday saints (mormons)and merill jessop was in the first round of indictments. yes it is serious if proven to be true.

zxcvbnm | 8:36 a.m. Sept. 24, 2008

Tigerlily..........The Merril Jessop indited in the first round is not the 70+ guy that is Barbaras husband........
The Merril is not indited that filed then recinded the evidence challenge is not the indited Merril........Read the details.
The challenge to the evidence was recinded because the two guys were not subjects of the charges.
Ole Merril is still free and not charged with any crimes.

realitycheck | 3:02 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

re griz 6:29pm
"to all of you be careful how you talk about a prophet have you all ready forgotten the last hurricane. it may happen to you."

?? what? too funny!! My side hurts really bad!! Why do you have to make me laugh so hard? I almost wet my pants.

And I don't know if you actually believe in what you said, but if you do.... that's probably funnier than the fact that you actually said it... please stop - you're killin' me!

re zxcvbnm | 3:07 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

well - it's obvious they have run out of names - but in doing so you would think they'd have come up with better ones than Merril... lol

and why don't they inject a few new last names too? Getting tired of jessop, etc. Can I get an amen for Smith and Jones!!

re tigerlily | 3:21 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008

more confusion within the pro-FLDS camp... wrong merril and wrong law. perhaps if you all were allowed to read books...

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