Although I do not share the beliefs of the FLDS and adamantly oppose the idea of underage marriages, etc., I find this massive law enforcement operation to raid homes, search religious structures, and remove children from families based on the uncorroborrated claim of one anonymous complainant to be a frightening precedent. Having worked with many law enforcement agents and officers, I am very familiar with the criminal standards of reasonable suspicion and probable cause that are used in affidavits to support search and arrest warrants. I can think of no case I was ever involved with where a judge would have authorized even a search of a computer, let alone a home or religious structure, based on uncorroborated claims of an anonymous complainant. If I call the police anonymously and claim my neighbor has child porn on his computer, would that be probable cause to justify a search warrant of my neighbor's home? No, unless I was willing to identify myself and testify as to how I know about the child porn and offer some corroborrative evidence or other witnesses. Was there any evidence of abuse in any of the families separated in TX justifying a sweeping raid? No.

How typical that the authorities screw things up this badly.

Hey, that's right! O.J. was the wrong guy, too!

Let's get the right men and help these people out of a wretched situation.

How is it polygamy is against the law and yet we turn a blind eye to it?

This situation isn't right. The authorities are a bit too quick to jump and in so doing affirms what the FLDS preach.

What evidence is there that the alleged cell phone call was even made from the YFZ ranch, much less who made it? The advantage of cell phones is that they are mobile; the disadvantage is that the exact location of the phone at the time a particular call is made cannot be precisely determined.
Could this whole thing have been perpetrated by someone outside the compound who had a grudge against the FLDS community? If so, they have succeeded wildly.

Texans don't take too kindly to institutionalized child sexual abuse, assault, and incest etc. The polygamists must be asking themselves, "Why did we ever leave good old Utah?"

I was thinking about freedom in America. Lets see we went after the Mormons in Narvoo. Everyone knew what they were doing and it had to be stoped. We went after the Japanese in California. Someone said they may be spying. We went after the African-Americans because they were getting out of line.
When I look at old glory tears come to my eyes when I think what it stands for. Now we can end the religion in Elderado, Texas.

Whether or not as a society we agree with the FLDS, they do have rights, and this article indicates that they were completely abused.

Re; liberal larry- you are a liberal because you don't believe in the constitution, glad I don't live in Texas, home of the oppressed.

I would be curious to know how many of you posting today are LDS. How can you defend the rape of children under the age of 16? How can you defend the actions of FLDS? Do you truly not think the government should step in to protect children? And look at the comments we get, the government is going after them etc... Pitiful

Wake up people! Read the articles again! Listen to the newspapers. There is evidence of abuse, physical and sexual! There is strict rules that this group live by; and that is to do what ever the man says you do! This is also abuse! What they found in their "temple" just makes me sick. If you don't think there was wrong doing happening there, then take another look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't they track down the phone number and who the cell phone belong to and eventually they can find the girl. I felt bad for the girl regardless what happened. She needs to be protected and authority needs to find out from her the truth.

There is no evidence that the FLDS church did anything wrong. People form texas like to jump to conclusions, like Iraq and George Bush.

The FLDS are weird so they must be doing something wrong, right? Maybe but we can't just take their children away based upon one phone call, that was most likely a prank. Americans have rights so stuff like this shouldn't happen, it is sad when fear is used to take away constitutional rights.

You are correct. They have rights. Even those 12-16 year-old girls have rights. I'm glad Texas has decided to preserve those rights.

Defending FLDS... ?
I just don't get how a society claims to protect children, and then all your posts are about breaking up the family. The church already broke up the family.

Why go back to the original accusation (If it's wrong) when they've found what the found! My goodness! They went in from a tip and found terrible abuse and took steps to help it. Why would anybody consider the rights of this group when they have taken away so many rights of young people?

Those women and children and babies have constitutional rights too. They have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I don't think being raped and beaten and water tortued fits those standards. Those men need to be sitting in prison. Way to go Texas!!! Shame on Utah and Arizona!!!

Honestly, using their informant who told them about the wedding bed, or even past practice as the benefit of a doubt they could have gotten a warrant to go in and inspect the children ensuring that none were abused or pregnant.

Guess what?

They were.

sounds like this Judge Walker needs to learn her real limits and not made up ones.

Who is the "right" 50yo man to be married to a 16yo and breaking her ribs? What are these "religious" rights to force women into sexual slavery like breeding mares? Why are AZ, UT and CO still permitting organized groups of up to 100K people in compounds with armed guards on towers protecting the entrance and egress to grow?

You don't suppose that those individuals that are so against the FLDS and their life style, would make a false claim by having one of their own call, posing as this poor child, stating she was being beaten, just to cause all of this do you?

They better find that mythical 16 year old or the FLDS is going to have a bunch more money courtesy of the citizens of Texas.

My bet is that she doesn't exist and that it was enemies of the FLDS that faked the call.

Some people never learn. There was probably less of the activity that liberal larry decries going on at YFZ than has been the routine for years in Eldorado and other nearby communities. Nobody is perfect, but some people are better at making mistakes than others.

The FLDS messed up and badly. Why it took so long for the authorities to act is anyones guess. I don't offer an explanation only a heart felt thanks that it's finally taking place.

CPS and DPS are agencies with a very good record in Texas. They have the support of the people who put them there.

To: I don't agree with FLDS but... I'm glad you don't live here either. You would be hard to explain. The only people whose rights were being abused are the victims here and trust me, they aren't middle men. Get real.

Looks like we'll have to run DNA tests to sort this out. Nobody wants to admit to anything. A bunch of children and their mothers we're victims of immaculate conception otherwise.

Barlow already is convicted once of something he said he was not guilty of. Second time, I think he'll take the same path. The truth is not in him.

I guess a paternity test can take care of that.

I'm not sure religious affiliation has anything to do with it, but I agree with everything else that you said. How can anyone defend rape, especially of underaged girls, as well as the isolation and mind control....this is all wrong and I'm glad Texas took action.

Doesn't anyone care that almost nothing in the call that originated this huge raid is factual?

- The caller was not in the Texas compound.
- The aleged abuser was not in the Texas compound.
- Barlow is a common FLDS name, any disgruntled person could have made this call.

They could have easily confirmed some of the facts in the call just by checking to verify her story that she was taken to the hospital Easter weekend.

They obviously didn't do ANY checking. Just rounded up the police, tanks, etc (much like Waco) and went in a big show of force.

Some commenter the day of the raid actually said police were greated by automatic gunfire when they tried to serve the warrant. That turned out to be a bunch of BS (much like the rest of the claims leading up to this raid).

I hope they catch the bad guys. But I hope the rest of the people who's rights were abused just because they are of the wrong faith or live in the wrong town get justice in the end.

Something smells like a big rotten evangelical persecution fish in all this mess. This will turn out to be a bunch of hearsay with no evidence. They may or may not find the "children" who are pregnant are of proper age. If that is the case, then what is the case?

Isn't it true that cell phones in the U.S. have a GPS chip in them that allows their location to be known?

To Are you kidding?: Are YOU kidding? Nobody is defending rape of children or the FLDS. It is a simple fact that they have certain rights against unreasonable search. They could be sacrificing children in there, but if the law officials do not have a pretty solid reason for going in, the evidence could all be thrown out and they would all walk away free men. Same here, if law enforcement is found to have overstepped, the guilty could walk away.

They had a good faith tip they thought was valid. When they got in there, they saw evidence of rampant sexual abuse and rape of children. That is sufficient probable cause to remove the children. Good for Texas. Were they supposed to turn a blind eye when they saw what they did?

If they don't even have the girl who is making these claims, why the heck can they arrest someone? I don't agree with children being abused, but come on, they don't even know who called them! It could of been some teen in delaware making a prank call. I don't agreee with this at all.

Now that the authorities had gone in and taken all those several hundreds of children, what is their exit strategy for helping these deprived and abused souls?

Let's get this straight. Assuming all the allegations are true, I don't know anyone that wouldn't be in favor of raiding the compound, rounding up all the sickos and putting them cells for the next twenty-five years. No one is trying to defend rape. There are two potential problems: 1) The source isn't authentic, the abuses are exaggerated and there's a whole bunch of people who've just had their constitutional rights violated because they're different. 2) The allegations are true, but all the rapists will get off on a technicality because the evidence will be thrown out of court. Perhaps I haven't read enough, but I'm not aware of any conclusive evidence that proves any of the allegations. I suspect many of them are true, but you can't prosecute or convict on a hunch, and the evidence they do have may have been obtained illegally.

Whether or not you agree with the premise of the raid, here are the facts (where I work here in Houston, we deal with them on a regular basis).

Over 400 kids are going to be placed in one of the most overworked and underfunded state foster care systems in the country.

Over 400 innocent children are going to be sent to (most likely public) schools in a state that boasts the second highest dropout rate in the country.

Over 400 innocent children are stepping into the limelight of a state that boasts extreme intolerance for 'atypical' religions.

God help these children, because Texas won't.

state of texas, you look stupid!eric.

To Benjamin Pratt,

Overworked and underfunded. OK.

Dropout rate. Understood.

Intolerance for "atypical" religions. Good for them! Cults should NOT be tolerated!

But over 400 kids will be out of a sexually abusive, religiously fanatic, emotionally damaging situation.

It is a good decision.

Where is the LDS Church responding to what is happening, (1) given the LDS history of abuse at the hands of lawless people, (2) given the LDS history of polygamy and the FLDS relationship to LDS doctrine, (3) given the LDS claim to defend the US Constitution as "divinely inspired," (4) given the recent LDS leadership statements on "compassion" for illegal immigrants, (5) given the huge LDS emphasis on humanitarian service, and (6) given the many LDS Wards and Stakes in the Texas areas with "Saints of God" who love and reach out and lift up? Where is a statement from the LDS First Presidency denouncing the treatment of the 423 FLDS children and women?

We'll Concernced LDS, you already answered your own question. The LDS church has already spoken on these issues. Are you looking for daily statements to come from the church?

Enough clues emerged from the press conference to suggest the definite identity of the informant. No surprises.

The answer is Yes.

You ignore almost everything written about this story to come to your polar opposite conclusion.

Remind me to ignore you.

Fortunately most of you understood my comment opening this thread as an observation of the legality of the police raid rather than a defense of any behaviors taking place on that ranch. I find the behaviors deplorable, as all of you do. Now we know that the sheriff had an informant separate from the anonymous caller, and having a confidential informant is usually sufficient to establish probable cause for a search warrant. that was now known this morning when i initially posted my comment. Based on an informant AND the anonymous complainant, the judge was likely justified in issuing the search warrant, which of course revealed a significant number of minors who appeared to have been sexually victimized, i.e. pregnant or had already given birth. If the FLDS were in fact using their "temple" for illicit activity with minors under the guise of "spiritual marriage" then the separation of women from men effected by the raid was definitely in the interest of the safety and health of the female victims. As for "Concerned LDS" who wonders why the LDS Church is silent, enough people already confuse the two churches. This is their issue alone to face.

1-The LDS church is a church! Not a bail people out religion. Please remember that!
2-This is not a crisis where they would send aid or humanitarian service. Hurricane Katrina is where the LDS church would help.
3-Bad media towards the LDS church, duh!
4-LDS Church and polygamy-and the media is like pouring gasoline on a fire
5-Your taxes pay for foster care homes. USE THEM!
6-LDS church doesn't respond because no other church is responding-bad media-polygamy is illegal since we are dealing with kids under 18-why would we help promote illegal practices?

The anonymity of this complaintant is paramount! Her identity will be made public soon enough. She is an abused minor.

Many are "assuming" ALL these families are guilty of abuse. I don't know. I'm waiting for some evidence.

Look at the pictures of the kids at play on the main page...
Do they look abused? Too me they look clean, happy, kinda normal (I know, how can that be)?

I hope they can get "legally admissable" proof of these abuse claims so we can quit judging them on rumor and assumptions and start dealing with some facts.

Legal Beagle, it has been interesting reading your point of view. There have been many claims in this blog so far as to what has been found in YFZ ranch, most has been speculation. Why not get the facts before coming to any conclusions. These people may be different, does that make them bad? I have seen numerous pictures of this raid, these children don't lood malnourished, or abused. In fact they look like they are well taken care of. What gives the state of Texas the right to their children if they live their religion and are not hurting anyone else? So far they have taken this raid with a great deal of integrity and peace. If it were you,(all of you)would you be this peacable?

All of the information you purport to now be available has been available for days.
You are behind. May I suggest you get caught up before you comment again? It would save you having to explain your odd entries.

I am concerned:
1. That abuse of women and children is taking place.
2. That emotions are so high that those against the FLDS Church are willing to fabricate a complaint.
3. That constitutional rights are being trampled because of righteous indignation (does the end justifies the means?).
4. That I might lose some of my rights in the process.
5. That abuse of women and children is taking place (repeated for emphasis).
6. That failure to follow the rule of law could eventually allow abusers to go unpunished.

Has anyone considered how this is going to affect the citizens of Texas?

Assumptions does have a point.

Are you ready for your taxes to increase, because of assumptions and speculations?

There are roughly 650 people in that compound. They have been there for about 5 years and this is the first report of trouble. That is pretty good odds considering domestic violence cases across the country.

Surprise, surprise! He said he's not the guy. That's a new one on most of us, right? We've NEVER heard that one before.
Of course he says he isn't the guy. What did we expect?? How many of these snakes actually stand up and take responsibility (for children, wives or breaking the law)? I mean even with law officials standing right there, a man (33 years old) has to tell his wife she is 18 years old!?!?!
Obviously what they say and what they do are two totally and completely different things!!!

Classic example of unprofessionalism amoung America's law enforcement. Classic example of America’s judicial incompetence.