One of the interesting things about this case is that it really can't go in reverse. CPS snatched a bunch of children from a compound without knowing who the mothers were and it probably can't drop them off at the compound gate. Children taken from any group setting must be returned to biological parents. If the Supreme Court sides with the appeals court, birth certificates should be satisfactory to determine parentage. DNA can help for those who have no birth certificates. The appeals court ruling did not set a deadline contrary to some reports, so the lack of DNA results is probably a moot point since if the Supreme Court does set a ten day deadline, the DNA results will be available.

CPS erred on the side of safety when it seized so many children. When the DNA results come out, it should know which children are safe and which come from abusive families. One would think that the way to correct having seized too many children would be to return some, not all of them. However, it might make sense to return all of them on paper and immediately seize again those who have been abused.

I expect most of the kids will be returned to their parents, and sooner rather than later. What upsets me is that the criminals at the TCPS will not be punished. They have abused - and are still abusing - hundreds of children. What they have done is no more or less than kidnapping under color of law. And not one of them will spend a day in prison. My blood is boiling.

It appears the burden of proof has been shifted to the mothers by the state. They are being required to prove a negative, i.e. that no sexual predator lives with them. It should be the state's burden to prove that the mother is a sexual predator, and thus the children cannot be returned. Clearly the state has not proved this, so they ask the mother to do so. The simple fact that the mother doesn't identify the father, is not reason enough to not return her children.

The children are in no immediate threat of abuse. Send them home.

Why do you think that the mothers are refusing to identify the fathers?
Did you see the pictures of Jeffs kissing those little children? These people will do what ever "their leader" tells them to do. If that means giving their 13 year child to be married, then they will do it. These children are in serious danger at that ranch.

FACT: Warren Jeffs is ALREADY in PRISON.
FACT: Warren Jeffs won't be "out of prison" any time soon.
Infants and children are NOT AT RISK from Warren Jeffs or any "additional" "EVIDENCE or ALLEGATIONS" relating to Warren Jeffs.

Warren Jeffs is ALREADY IN PRISON.

For a state (any state) to continue to HOLD infants and children - while "looking for" - additional "perpetrators" - is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Children "HAVE THE RIGHT" to be home and live with their families.

Individuals following these events have followed through by also researching the "foster care system" and the "child care industry" it's "part of".

What this research has revealed is NOT GOOD.

Limits on "what government can do" to "address a problem" are in place for a reason.

To any who sincerely feel "social change" is needed?

Perhaps the worth of love and compassion - the sanctity of "family" within a free society - needs to be focused on first.

For any arm of government to "justify" what has occurred in this matter - compounded by the "judicial behavior" which followed - by using "the best interests of the children" - as excuse for these actions - is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

re - anonymous 6:03am

the children were living in hell. send them to disneyland.

To Gal50:

You stated that when the DNA test results come back we will know which children have been abused and which have not. How is this possible?

As far as I can tell, the DNA test results will prove nothing but parentage. The fact that a man may have children with multiple women doesn't indicate abuse.

If I understand correctly, despite CPS' initial claims, there are only five underaged girls in this group who are pregnant, and no underaged girls who are parents. Since their unborn babies have not yet been DNA tested, their fathers cannot be determined by DNA tests.

If the DNA test results show that a father is 50 years old and the mother of that child is 14, well, then I guess that would "prove" abuse.

It's very clear that the FLDS don't break the law... unless their prophet (speaking the word of God) tells them to. Then of course, they can't ignore "God" for fear of going to hell or worse, being excommunicated and having their family "reassigned" to someone who does what they are told.

This might work ok, but for the fact that the FLDS "Prophet" is a sick (convicted) pedophile.

If the FLDS Mothers want for me to have sympathy for them, they'll have to stop worshipping Warren Jeffs.

getreal | 7:00 a.m. May 29, 2008
"Why do you think that the mothers are refusing to identify the fathers?"

Because many of the mothers would name the same man as father of their kids. Then the police would issue arrest warrants for the fathers and the CPS could argue that it is unsafe to send a child back to the home where the father is a potential felon.

But before you start licking your jowels at the thought of the kids permanently separated from their moms, remember this: the TX AG announced he would NOT prosecute FLDS for polygamy. This is because any conviction would be thrown out in higher courts anyway. That means that the only effect of the "felony" argument would be to DELAY the return of the children, not prevent it. And one thing that higher courts really HATE the wanton delay of justice.

Watching from Ohio | 1:21 p.m. May 29, 2008
"If the DNA test results show that a father is 50 years old and the mother of that child is 14, well, then I guess that would "prove" abuse."
That would be a neat trick, considering there are NO 14-YEAR-OLD MOTHERS. (Try to keep up with the news)

"This might work ok, but for the fact that the FLDS "Prophet" is a sick (convicted) pedophile."
Your opinion. And, thank God, we live in a country of laws, not opinions.

If the FLDS Mothers want for me to have sympathy for them, they'll have to stop worshipping Warren Jeffs.
Fortunately, they have no desire nor need for your sympathy. The constitution is on their side, and that's all they need.

I feel the most for the mothers of the FLDS. First, they have all their rights taken away from them the minute they are born. They are led to believe the only way to Heaven, is to be a multiple wife, which HAS to be a household filled with jealousy, and a lot of emotional pain, I know it would be for me. They lose their childhoods giving birth, and caring for children. Then the State, and CPS come along and take their children from them, call them perpertrators, probably the most important thing in the whole world to them is now gone. Would'nt it be the right thing to do to at least give the women back their children. They should be prevented from leaving the State, until everything is sorted out by DNA. This all could have been done without the brutality that CPS inflicted on these women and children. They did not HAVE to use the force, and cruelty that they used on these people.This is what happens when the govenment agencies, such as CPS think they are so all powerful. The Appellate and the Supreme Court agreed to this misuse of power.