We need to know what constitutes a "spiritual marriage". In a "spiritual marriage" does that mean the couple immediately have sex? Do they go on a honeymoon? Just asking.

Teresa turns 17 next week, which is the age of consent. I wonder how that factors into the case. I.e. Does CPS still have a valid claim that she's in danger of sexual abuse, if she's reached the age of consent?

I guess Teresa can get on the stand in a week and blow the court away with the admission that she consumated her "spiritual" union with ole Raymond on her second anniversary.

Way to go people 14 million dollars and growing to protect a sixteen year old "Virgin" from having sex with a man that she can have sex with in a few days.

Why not save a few million and rent them a room for their anniversary celebration and call this thing done.

CASA/CPS seems to be going to alot of trouble to protect one 16/17 year old child who does not want their help.

I for one will question the alleged evidence CASA has provided now, when it has never showed up before? I'm not saying these people would deliberatly lie, as they did about having all those pregnant teens?

I'm just saying lets see if the evidence is legitimate, and admissable in court.

I still think the time, effort and money being spent to protect one child who doesn't want to be protected. Could be used for the 1000's who want protection.

Why did Jeff's wait til she was so old to marry her off? Isn't the standard with him 13 - 14 year olds? She must have been a reject in the sect and it took a couple years for Jeffs to talk someone into taking her.

The gosanangelo web site has a bit more detail about the "evidence" of Teresas "marraige".

Of course you have the "deep Kiss" photo.....but notice the other evidence.

seems three marraiges of underage girls took place that night, while warren jeffs was on the run.
Warren married an underage girl, Merrill Jessop married an underage girl and Raymond Jessop married Teresa Jeffs,(warrens daughter) Yes, they do encourage sex immediately.
But sense we have seen the evidence, i guess we wait for complete details.

When was the Texas marriage age changed from 14 to 16--was it before July 27, 2006 or after?

All you people defending these so called marriages to 14 year old kids are sick.

Where is the outrage?
Why are the moms not protecting their children?

Sick, sick, sick

The law went into affect 10/01/05......

Looks like Jeffs has a few more under age marraiges to explain.....but Hildibrand didn't write a "rape by accomplice" law and sex with the girls hasn't been proven.

It is not a matter of defending the guy....it is a matter of the law.

The State seems so self ritchious yet two years ago every texas could marry a fourteen year old.... When laws are made to target one group then areselectively enforced we have a problem.

When 400 plus children are held and one might have been in danger we have a problem.

Lets arrest every member of a Catholic Church the next time a priest "strays" so we can find the victim.......even if the victim declares that he/she was not a victim.

Doesn't matter what the law is or when it went into effect. These people don't follow the law. If they did, their cult wouldn't exist.

commonsense | 3:21 p.m. July 19, 2008
"Yes, they do encourage sex immediately."

Says an anonymous "expert" who apparently has no sense at all.

Sick, sick, sick | 5:02 p.m. July 19, 2008
"All you people defending these so called marriages to 14 year old kids are sick."

Why don't we let the US Supreme Court decide who's sick, OK?

YOU CAN'T MAKE LAWS THAT ARE INTENDED TO APPLY SELECTIVELY TO A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE.

Most of you who write about the "millions wated" do not seem to understand, this is about a sexual predatory culture on underaged girls. It doesn't matter that the child at the time wated the sex. She was not old enough at the time to protect herself from saying, "no" for many reasons. It is about preventing other young girls from being abused in the future. It has to stop somewhere. The millions now is for the lives in the future that stand to be preyed upon.

Saundra, what do you think the purpose of the bed in the temple was for?

Sleeping children?

Weary travelers resting their bones?

No, common sense will provide the answer.

No offence, but 14 year old girls are having sex all over the place (like all those girls in high school who got pregnant at the same time)
If these people want to marry, take care of, pay for the raising of the children, etc etc- I don't care! That seems more decent to me than the kids having kids in the projects.

I'm in VA and know people just one and two generations ago who were married at 15 and 13. So what.

The greater issues are FORCED marriage and polygamy. T.Jeffs seems to like being married to her husband, So now lets just see if Raymond is a polygamist and throw him in jail.

The Government has no right to sieze and read her diary. She deserves millions for breach of her privacy.

hahaha - you people are too funny. You're all worried about the girl's diary but don't care that she was sold to some guy. Great priorities.

and maybe it's just me, but I thought there was a difference between a teenager fooling around with her boyfriend versus her dad selling her to another guy. Guess not....

all you people are so blind to the press and all the lies. if you really knew what the flds really are like you would want to help them.
young girls are not forced into marriage. each is given a choice. if they wish to say no they can. there has been some who have done so.
you can not judge some one till you have walked 100 miles in their shoes.
there is so much worse things happening in the world. all these people want is to live their religion in peace. it is a peaceful loving religion and i say let them live it.

WHY says:

"Why did Jeff's wait til she was so old to marry her off? Isn't the standard with him 13 - 14 year olds? She must have been a reject in the sect and it took a couple years for Jeffs to talk someone into taking her. "

My response:

Or maybe they don't really marry them at 13-14, you've just been brainwashed into believing everything the media and book sellers tell you. ??? If you want the sheep to beleive something all you have to do is keep saying it to them over and over.

When one group (adult males often two or more times the ages of their child brides) hold all the power in a group, then consent cannot occur. Teresa Jeffs and the other girls may have complied, but they never really had a choice. The law does not even allow a powerful party to force contracts on the weak. Surely, men from 35 to 90-something stealing the innocence of girls 11-15 is equally reprehensible.

Teresa was "mature" enough to marry Raymond. That's apparent in her statement, "My father said to me you get to have your birthday and then the next day is your anniversary."

Yeah that's a real "mature" thought-process, isn't it? Not!

At the end of the day, it's T.Jeffs decision whether or not to be married. You can't run around forcing your ideals on other people. You can say all you want about her not being "mature" enough at the time of marriage, but now the woman says she wants to be married to this guy. Done deal. Leave her alone. This is America (or is it?)

re - Who's choice 11:07am

You don't really believe that, do you? You really think the endless sermons and being told it is God's will had nothing to do with it?

Then you are way more naive then I could possibly imagine. No wonder you're sticking up for them.

I agree with those who feel like it is T.Jeffs choice. Let's not forget that the world is looking upon these people as being "forced" and make sure we are not trying to force our protection to someone who does not feel like she needs protected. Anyone who allows their children to go to public school, to go out with a boy, to even be out of their sight for ten minutes should be acused of child abuse in this day and age when girls everywhere are getting pregnant if that is the way you want to be. At least these people have decent families and actually care for these girls. Out here they get pregnant and then are abandoned and either choose a gross crime such as abortion or have to face raising a child on their own. What happened to the crime of adultery? What happened to the real moral issues talked of in the Bible? Probably most people don't actually read it anyway, but I do. Let's face it American's, the world outside of this FLDS group is more immoral and degraded than we even realize.