Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Teresa Jeffs wins something after all. Alan Futrell is her REAL attorney.

Two things seem to have come out of the Grand Jury. One is that I may have been to hasty to say that Malonis and Walther won. They engaged in the face saving move of declaring that Malonis was still Teresa Jeffs attorney, but Malonis clearly was not. Another is that they have not been quick to issue indictments, though I am certain some will come. As loose as Grand Jury proceedings are that's almost a certainty. The Grand Jury knows the prosecution wants indictments, and is inclined to give them out. It is significant that the next meeting will be July 22nd. We may get to hear from Rozita Swinton at least before the next Grand Jury meeting unless there is another convienient "delay." I doubt that Allen Steed will have his next court date before then, as his next date is more variable.

The San Angelo Standard-Times - ELDORADO - "With today's meeting of the Schleicher County grand jury nearing an end, no indictments have yet been issued and the panel has agreed to meet again July 22, one attorney said.

Alan Fatrell (sic?), the criminal defense attorney for the 16-year-old daughter of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader Warren Jeffs, told reporters this afternoon that the grand jury would call one more witness before recessing until July 22. However, he said he did not know whether the continuation means the panel will not issue any indictments until that date."

Alan is apparently for all intents and purposes Teresa's attorney. It may be that officially Natalie Malonis is, but it's apparently not working that way.

"Malonis and the girl spent practically no time together, the attorney usually staying inside the courthouse or on the steps, with her client several yards away with other sect members and their attorneys."

So not really her attorney after all.


The Deseret News has this interesting quote;

"San Angelo attorney Brad Haralson represents several mothers.

'I can't say a thing,' he told reporters as he walked to his car. 'I don't know if there's really a schedule. They're just doing it. No agenda was sent out to anybody.'"

This suggests the Grand Jury proceedings are a show on a schedule, not a proceeding with a legal goal of finding the truth. "We're just going to do this" would seem to be the operative phrase, the same sort of train wreck justice that applied to the custody hearings, and "service plans" also presided over by Walthers. I can't hold it back any longer, Barbara Walthers is a political hack. She may be good at manuevering people that way, but she's not a legal mind or a good judge. She's a politician.



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1 comment:

kbp said...

Malonis, as I understand it, is not eligible to represent Teresa in a criminal capacity.

Just passing what I've read, not anything I researched.