"A Bishop's Record seized by law enforcement and entered into court evidence in a San Angelo court said Allan Keate had a 17-year-old wife, and may have fathered an underage child with her. (Michael George) Emack, according to the same records, has a 19-year-old wife and had a 1 1/2-year-old son with her."
Age of Consent in Texas after 2005, is 17. They are not that confident yet, in their case. A 19 year old wife with a one and a half year old son was impregnated two years and three months ago. How old a 19 year old are we talking here? 19 years and 2 months? Saying that Allan Keate may have fathered and "underage child" with her (strange phrasing) doesn't speak of great confidence either.
Teresa Jeffs swears she is a virgin from what I've heard, that makes her "spiritual marriage" a betrothal and not a consumated relationship. The Doctor is charged with failure to report. That's four of the five. As I said, the charge of Bigamy against Merrill Jessop indicates the only charge that Texas has confidence in. Sorry to keep repeating myself but the evidence keeps stacking up, bit by bit. They would have charged the three other men with Bigamy if they thought the charges were good enough to stick. Of course, all of this may change.
"Four of (the charges against Warren Jeffs) were dropped at the request of the defense because Arizona's incest law doesn't apply to Jeffs' cases. Two of them were dropped at the request of the prosecution because the alleged victim refused to testify."
"(Texas Attorney General Greg) Abbott said law enforcement agencies are discussing ways to protect alleged victims should any of the men post bail.
'I would be concerned about any children they would be exposed to,' said Abbott, who called the bail amounts appropriate. 'I think the bail is a high bail instituted by the judge to ensure that people accused of these crimes will show up for trial.'"
Veda Keate (19) is an adult. Help me out here. Granted some of these alleged crimes occured in a time frame that could MAKE them crimes, but if Veda Keate is an adult now, and Teresa Jeffs is 17, what "children" does Greg Abbott propose to "protect?"
"Three of the men — Merril “Leroy” Jessop, 33; Raymond Jessop, 36; and Allan Keate, 56 — face charges of sexual assault of a child and are purported to be “spiritual husbands” of young women who testified before the Schleicher County grand jury last week. A fourth man, Michael Emack, 57, also faces charges of sexual assault of a child. The fifth man, Dr. Lloyd Barlow, 38, faces three misdemeanor counts of failing to report child abuse. He’s purported to be the chief physician at the sect's compound outside Eldorado and is thought to have had information about young mothers there."
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"Leroy Jessop is also charged with bigamy."
Rozita is profiled in Newsweek, and for the first time the press (apart from your Modern Pharisee) wakes up to the cold calculating nature of the instigator of the YFZ raid.
"Yet there's a highly rational and calculating aspect to Swinton's alleged deeds. In the past few years, she has used at least nine cell-phone numbers—many of them prepaid, avoiding the need to register them—to orchestrate her ruses, according to police. And rather than slipping uncontrollably into one character or another, she has seemed to switch between them at will."
I pointed this out early on, saying that she showed calculating behavior by avoiding the camera in the police questioning she went through. I also pointed out the similarities between her mug shot and other calculating child abusers.
"Psychiatrists interviewed by NEWSWEEK say that although they wouldn't rule out multiple-personality disorder—a controversial diagnosis technically known as dissociative identity disorder (DID)—Swinton's behavior doesn't match the usual profile (none of them has personally examined her). 'People with DID typically have intense stories of their own abuse' and don't 'run around reporting on other people's abuse,' says David Spiegel, associate chair of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. Richard Kluft, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Temple University School of Medicine, says it's possible that Swinton suffers from other conditions, like factitious disorder, in which people have a need to be seen as ill and deliberately create symptoms to prove it."
I still strongly suspect the KEY phrases that Rozita keeps using need to be paid attention to. "You're saying I'm lying" she tends to say, or seems amazed that people think she didn't tell the truth, and then protests that it IS the truth, that it's "HER STORY."
Lies always have an anchor in the truth in my experience. Rozita is intent on proclaiming that the stories she tells are TRUE. Someone has fed her these stories or she has read them in case files. She now feels the need to tell them. I think it's important to know where these stories came from. I think Rozita BELIEVES they are true. Another alternative is that she is changing details of the story to mask their origin.
The Newsweek article also identifies Mary Catharine Nelson as her foster parent, but does not touch on the "Reverend" Nelson's connections with the publishing company that she published her books through. The article also uses stock photographs that were supplied by Swinton herself.
There is STILL more to the story, but at least someone looked at her in an unsympathetic way for the first time, in the mainstream media.
The article points out that Rozita received therapy in Missouri, I assume recently. This may explain why I got a bunch of recent hits from Rural Missouri and at about the same time, ceased to get hits from Colorodo Springs, on this blog. It could be coincidence but Missouri is home to Eden Theological Seminary, and was or still is home to Mary Catharine Nelson's big bud and fellow homosexual rights activist, Dr. Peggy Ann Way.
"(Barbara Walther) has ordered that a massive child custody case involving a polygamous sect be split up, a move that may be the first step in dismissing some cases while investigation continues in others."
"Walther also ordered that attorneys' requests for information gathered by the state be suspended until she adopts a discovery management plan."
"(Judge Barbara) Walther split Case No. 2902 - which included more than 300 children - into 110 cases grouped by mother, and Case 2903, which included more than 30 children, into nine cases, also grouped by mother. They join 125 cases filed separately by the state's Child Protective Services agency, which removed nearly 440 children from the sect's Schleicher County compound in early April."
"'The FLDS group is very difficult to penetrate,' (Texas Attorney General Greg) Abbott said. 'They have a veil of silence that they operate under, and as a result, the kind of evidence that's necessary to prosecute the crimes that they may be committing is difficult to obtain. I think with what Senator Reid is proposing, what the committee is considering, it will provide greater tools for the federal authorities to help go in and begin to eradicate some of the criminal activity that may be taking place.'"
"(Greg Abbott) said that he thinks the FLDS picked Schleicher County because it was isolated and sparsely populated. The sect could go about its business unmolested and could follow a previous pattern of taking over local government and authorities by outnumbering others. In the 2006 General Election, 698 voters turned out in Schleicher County, he said.
It was unclear how many people have been living at the ranch, but more than 400 children were taken from the compound by the state during an April raid. Texas officials at the hearing estimated the county's total population to be 2,000 to 3,000.
'Their population is large enough that if they all registered to vote and did vote,' they would have enough FLDS members to assert local control, Abbott said. 'The game plan for FLDS is to locate a geographical area that is so sparsely populated that they will be able to live in seclusion' and take over the local area."
"(Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard) supports a strike force or task force that will help overcome jurisdictional barriers."
"Girls were sexually assaulted by men in the state of Texas," Abbott said. "We intend to prosecute it."
The San Angelo Standard-Times - "The men are believed to have retained attorneys, (Texas Ranger Capt. L.C.) Wilson said, and officials will first attempt to contact them through their counsel."
I suggest every FLDS man who has EVER been at YFZ or in Texas immediately call Sheriff Doran and ask if they are being sought, and if possible, present themselves physically to Sheriff Doran and surrender."I met Natalie while she was divorcing her first husband John Malonis. I went to Natalie’s home and it was not kept well. There was spoiled food in the refrigerator. I noticed baby diapers in the toilet. The entire house was a mess. Natalie uses the illegal substance known as speed. I knew she used it before our marriage and she told me she would stop. I told her I could not stand for illegal drug use and would not marry her if she was using drugs. When we were living in a small apartment in May of 1999 [four months before their marriage] I found drugs and drug paraphernalia in our home. I found small baggies containing the speed, straws, a mirror, metal foil all of which I know are used for drug use. I questioned Natalie about it and she admitted to me that she was using again."
Hmmm, this is about the first thing that Willie Jessop has said that I have a hard time believing. If it's true, Willie, you better wise up. OF COURSE there were going to be indictments. Harry Reid had been promised indictments. He would have scheduled no hearings otherwise. It's POLITICAL Willie, there were going to be indictments, yet there is something that is not exactly shocking, but eyebrow raising in this story from the Austin American-Stateman.
"'We're actually quite shocked. As soon as we know who they're looking for, we'll try to face it,' Jessop said. 'We believe in our innocence.'
He said he didn't know who was indicted and that no law enforcement officials had tried to enter the ranch Tuesday evening."
What's up with that last part? Texas hasn't tried to look for the offenders at YFZ? Isn't that a logical place to look? Are they afraid they will reveal WHO the people they look for ARE? Why is it that Texas is nervous about identifying them? Is it that the revelation of their identities would tell us too much? Like how weak or how unrelated to the raid the charges are? Another thought is that they know where these suspects are, and they are out of state and Texas is quietly seeking cooperation from other states to arrest them.
What we do know is that one indictment is for failing to report child abuse. That leaves four indictments for other crimes. One HAS to be for Raymond Jessop, the "spiritual husband" of Teresa Jeffs. The other has to be for the father of Veda Keate's child. It is possible that they don't have names for some of the indictments. I don't know enough about the law at this point to say. They may be combining DNA evidence to identify a DNA profile for the indictments, but as yet do not have a name to go with the indictment. That seems a little far fetched. We seem to know two of the four men indicted.
"One activist who has campaigned for government officials to crack down on underage marriages in the sect hailed Tuesday's indictments.
'I think it's a great start,' said Flora Jessop, a child victim advocate and ex-member of the sect. 'I'm proud of Texas for following through on the abuse they found.'"
"Jessop said she hopes the state also holds parents and other adults who were aware of the abuses accountable for sexual assaults on the community's children.
'That's the only way to send a strong message it has got to stop,' Jessop said. 'This has nothing to do with polygamy. It has to do with systemic rape, molestation and abuse of these children.'"
"Willie Jessop, an FLDS spokesman, said late Tuesday that the sect will address the allegations 'head on.'
'As soon as we know who they are looking for we will make contact with the sheriff's office and make arrangements for those people to appear on the charges,' he said."
"Jessop was at the courthouse all day after being handed a subpoena Tuesday morning after a traffic stop. He was accompanied by Las Vegas attorney Richard Wright, who has assisted in Jeffs' defense, and several Texas attorneys. Jessop was not called before the jury, however."
"Six FLDS women did appear before the panel, which met in the Memorial Building adjacent to the Schleicher County Courthouse.
During the afternoon proceedings, 51st District Judge Barbara Walther was in the courthouse as at least four of the women were questioned again."
"Jeffs' 16-year-old daughter, whose marriage at age 15 to a much older man was revealed in court documents filed last week (testified.)"
The Houston Chronicle - "(Q)uestions over whether that immunity would be accepted by federal prosecution was in doubt, bringing the grand proceeding to a temporary halt (4 hrs) this afternoon. It wasn't immediately clear how those questions were resolved.Sources familiar with the discussions spoke to the Chronicle on condition their names not be used. One said state District Judge Barbara Walther was called to the secret proceedings and kept in a room separate from the deliberations to go over the immunity issue."
This says Walther did not testify. It also strongly suggests immunity was offered and given. Judging from the way Texas has been conducting it's affairs, I daresay that witnesses were granted immunity with the assurance that the immunity would protect them from the consequences of their testimony, and this may have been a lie. It would explain this part of the article as well;
"(Sarah Barlow) Draper, 37, could be seen daubing her tearful eyes before she re-entered the room. Leann Jeffs' attorney, Andrea Sloan, patted her client on the back before they headed into the grand jury room."
Which would suggest she was forced to testify. The official rumor is that the deal was offered.
"Sources close to the investigation said the state of Texas offered female members of the FLDS immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony."
This was speculated to be the reason by your Modern Pharisee for no idictments in the second July meeting of the Grand Jury, and the reason for the month long delay for the third meeting, today. The first Grand Jury meeting resulted in 18 indicments, but no arrests have been reported. This one resulted in 6, after forced testimony it would appear. Testimony forced by offers of immunity that Texas may not have the authority to give.
The dilemna for FLDS mothers was that if they go to JAIL for not testifying, they would lose their children as a side effect. I am sure they would have spent the time in jail but they were in a rock and hard place situation. Testify with immunity. Refuse and face contempt. With fathers under threat of arrest or with practical rights terminated, the mother would be the only parent. A mother in jail for contempt, would lose her children to state custody. This is apparently EXACTLY what was done.
ELDORADO - "A Schleicher County grand jury issued indictments today against Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader Warren Jeffs and five other sect members, alleging sexual assault, bigamy and related charges.
Jeffs was charged with sexually assaulting a child, a first-degree felony, and the four others were indicted on allegations of sexually assaulting girls younger than (the legal age?) Each of those four face one felony count of sexual assault, and one faces an additional charge of bigamy.
Jeffs was identified because he was served with the indictment in jail. The other four remain unidentified until they are served.
'The indictments issued today are part of an ongoing and continuing criminal investigation,' a news release from Attorney General Greg Abbott's office said."
If you have to like something about this, it is that one of the six is Warren Jeffs. That hardly has anything to do with the raid. Another man is probably "Raymond Jessop," the "spiritual husband" of Teresa Jeffs and it may be that charge loses steam based on whether or not Teresa is a virgin, which she probably is. Of the four remaining, one is charged with being an accomplice, another with bigamy. Some of the the indictments may be for the same man, different crimes. We don't know the identities;
The Deseret News - "One man faces an additional charge of bigamy, also a first-degree felony, while another man has been charged with three counts of failing to report child abuse, according to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott."
I hate to say it but Willie Jessop might be that man charged with "failing to report child abuse" because that would mean he could be arrested and "taken out" of the picture. Willie wants to be in Washington Thursday. Watch to see if they try to arrest him in a manner timed to prevent him from being there. He'll probably make bail.
"Grand jury proceedings have resumed this afternoon in Schleicher County Courthouse, and tension has grown as controversial 51st District Judge Barbara Walther has arrived, apparently summoned to the hearing for reasons yet unknown."
The Salt Lake Tribune - ELDORADO, Texas - "A 16-year-old daughter of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs launched a new effort Tuesday (July 22nd) to replace her court-appointed attorney.
A motion filed by Teresa Jeffs in Schleicher County said the 'personal behavior' of attorney Natalie Malonis, who represents her in an ongoing child welfare investigation, demonstrates 'choices that brought her judgment, lifestyle and her ability to cope with responsibilities and obligations into question.' The filing does not offer further specifics, but said it was referring to events that began in 2000. Court records show Malonis and her husband began a divorce in 2000. Her former husband was eventually granted full custody of their two sons."
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"Teresa Jeffs (was subpoenaed), the 16-year-old daughter of incarcerated sect leader Warren Jeffs. A child advocate report filed earlier this month indicated she had been married to a 34-year-old man shortly after her 15th birthday. Ms. Jeffs has been involved in a public and frequently nasty fight with her guardian ad litem."
In keeping with my previous speculation that Teresa Jeffs might well be a smokescreen, Teresa seems to be the witness that was "dismissed" earlier from testifying. This was also speculated by your Modern Pharisee. We'll wait for proof on that but she does not appear on the witness list in the Houston Chronicle, nor are there mentions of her in any other paper or news report I have read. (That's Teresa airborne, over the trampoline.)The San Angelo Standard-Times - ELDORADO - "The Schleicher County grand jury broke for lunch just before noon today, and so far no indictments have been handed down.
A man who identified himself only as Ben, a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints member, said most of the sect women subpoenaed to testify were planning to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights by refusing to testify because the information could incriminate them. With the exception of spokesman Willie Jessop, most sect members divulge only their first names."
"Ahead of the first congressional hearing focused on polygamy since the 1950s, (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid, a Mormon convert from Nevada, will introduce the Victims of Polygamy Assistance Act. It would set up a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to combat 'broad patterns' of polygamy-related crimes.
The bill also would create grants for police agencies to probe alleged crimes and provide assistance such as witness relocation, housing, job training and child care for those leaving plural marriages, according to Reid's office."
"Ahead of the first congressional hearing focused on "Colored People" since the 1950s, (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid, a Mormon convert from Nevada, will introduce the Victims of African-Americans Assistance Act. It would set up a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to combat 'broad patterns' of black-related crimes.
The bill also would create grants for police agencies to probe alleged crimes and provide assistance such as witness relocation, housing, job training and child care for those leaving black communities, according to Reid's office."
"Ahead of the first congressional hearing focused on homosexuality since the 1950s, (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid, a Mormon convert from Nevada, will introduce the Victims of Homosexuals Assistance Act. It would set up a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to combat 'broad patterns' of homosexual-related crimes.
The bill also would create grants for police agencies to probe alleged crimes and provide assistance such as witness relocation, housing, job training and child care for those leaving homosexual households, according to Reid's office."
"(Willie) Jessop was en route to the grand jury this when he was pulled over in a traffic stop. Asked why he was stopped, Jessop chuckled to reporters.
'I think it's obvious,' he said, promising to explain more after the hearing."
Hat tip to "Strange Justice."
Yahoo News/AP - "(Judith) Flint was firm in her confrontation with the police.
'The lead detective said to me that they need to take the public computers and I said "OK, show me your warrant and that will be that,'" said Flint, 56. 'He did say he didn't need any paper. I said "You do." He said "I'm just trying to save a 12-year-old girl," and I told him "Show me the paper.'"
Cybersecurity expert Fred H. Cate, a law professor at Indiana University, said the librarians acted appropriately.
'If you've told all your patrons "We won't hand over your records unless we're ordered to by a court," and then you turn them over voluntarily, you're liable for anything that goes wrong,' he said.
A new Vermont law that requires libraries to demand court orders in such situations took effect July 1, but it wasn't in place that June day. The library's policy was to require one.
The librarians did agree to shut down the computers so no one could tamper with them, which had been a concern to police.
Once in police hands, how broadly could police dig into the computer hard drives without violating the privacy of other library patrons?
Baker wouldn't discuss what information was gleaned from the computers or what state police did with information about other people, except to say the scope of the warrant was restricted to the missing girl investigation.
'The idea that they took all the computers, it's like data mining,' said Caldwell-Stone. 'Now, all of a sudden, since you used that computer, your information is exposed to law enforcement and can be used in ways that (it) wasn't intended.'"
It turns out that all we really needed on April 3rd was a 4' 10" 56 year old female librarian at YFZ.
The parallels are interesting. One is the confidence of law enforcement that they did not need a warrant. Granted, in Texas they got warrants, but the first one was invalid, the second one was based on events seen at YFZ that the most flattering evaluation counts as misinterpretation. Texas is now functioning on no warrant at all.
With both warrnts gone though, nothing stops Texas. Just as with the computers that Vermont sought from the Library, "data mining" can go on forever, and in fact has in Texas. We are well past the non existant Sarah and the abusive Dale, her fictional husband and we blew past the "pregnant underage girls" who wouldn't have been prima facie evidence of a crime anyway, had there been any such underage girls.
Now we're functioning on "Data Mined" from the raid, but not part of the raid's primary intent or the alleged secondary purpose created by "seeing" other crimes. Texas did not "see" Teresa Jeffs' diary. They didn't "see" the record of spiritual marriage arranged and conducted by her father. That was "mined" later.
We can clearly see the danger in the case of Vermont, yet too many of us don't see the wrongness of what is still happening in Texas. What's the justification? In Vermont, "We're trying to save a 12 year old girl," in Texas, "We're trying to save a 15 year old girl." It's offered as the justification for any extreme of behavior and trampling of rights by law enforcment. "We're trying to help, the children."
"We continue to believe, however, that prosecution of polygamy per se should not be the government's primary focus at either the state or federal level. Instead, it is more important to bring to justice those who commit child abuse, child sexual abuse, rape, incest and fraud within polygamous communities."
"We continue to believe, however, that prosecution of African Americans per se should not be the government's primary focus at either the state or federal level. Instead, it is more important to bring to justice those who commit child abuse, child sexual abuse, rape, incest and fraud within African American communities"
"It is the same Medvecky if it was Albany, New York. He is 64.
I do believe there are other charges too, involving a weapon.
Medvecky stated he lost a son to CPS and has not seen him since.
This would explain volumes why he hates CPS and law enforcement.
Do you know the story behind all the charges that sent him to prison?"
"You are a shill for the FLDS, and have been since before Warren Jeffs was arrested. How many boards have you been kicked off of?
Your statements have no value, and your comments that you 'haven't met a Bible believer' unless they believe exactly as you do give an indication of the same old tired rhetoric of the witch-burners in Salem or the Catholics in the Catheri genocide of the 1300s.
You admit in other boards that you have been a bigamist - why should we listen to you know?
In other words, you believe as the child abusers do, and will say anything to defend them."
"Warren was found guilty of accomplice to Rape. Now, with the qualifier that I find Warren Jeffs abhorrent and his religion a religion of the devil, some of the aspects of his case are quite interesting."
"'Based on the information in the attachments, CASA feels that (the girl) would be at risk for continued sexual abuse,' the CASA report states."
No, they're not all following the story out there, even the news hounds. What? Rozita Swinton? Who's She? Wizbang wakes up. That's a fairly big blogger to be coming so late to such basic knowledge. That's how quiet the media really is about this. This blogger didn't even know the call from "Sarah" was a fake."If not for Don Surber's blog post, I wouldn't have known that the FLDS travesty, was all the result of an adult pretending to be sixteen."
The Deseret News - "The Utah Attorney General's Office has declined to investigate an apparent hoax call that sounded similar to the phone call that sparked the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch.
'We referred it back for local law enforcement to look at,' said Ken Wallentine, the Utah Attorney General's chief of law enforcement.
The Division of Child and Family Services received a phone call in April that alleged abuse in the FLDS border town of Hildale. DCFS has declined to release specific details about the call, but said it alleged child abuse and neglect and 'may be related to an ongoing criminal matter,' referring to the hoax call investigation in Texas."
"'There seems to be some contextual similarity,' Wallentine said, noting it would be more appropriate for a local law enforcement agency to investigate."
"A spokeswoman for DCFS said Tuesday that local law enforcement did review the case, but nothing came of it. The call also lacked specific information about a victim and an address of the alleged abuse. 'We didn't have enough information to pursue a case," said Liz Sollis with the Utah Department of Human Services."
"Arizona child welfare authorities investigated a similar call and also took no action."
"I will not have further information until tomorrow (Tuesday) at the earliest."
"Becky Hoerth tells police that the allegations against Swinton don't surprise her, considering 'Rozita's delusions and disassociations.'
Hoerth goes on to tell police that she's sure Swinton is on medications, 'whether or not she's taking the medication, she's not sure.' Hoerth says she never saw Swinton call 'crisis hotlines' but says, 'Maybe this was going on while she was sleeping and she didn't know.' Hoerth says Swinton hated talking on the phone, and if she did, it was inly to speak briefly to her mother.
When asked if Swinton speaks with her father, Hoerth said she does, but when he tries to contact her, she often doesn't respond.
Swinton previously told Castle Rock Police that she was sexually molested by her father and even had a child with him. Police later determined that was a lie. She later pleaded guilty to making a false report and was given a year-long deferred sentence.
Hoerth moved in with Swinton earlier this month, and she says the first week Swinton didn't talk. 'Rozita was very much to herself and kept to herself.' It wasn't until April 9th that Rozita started to come around, she tells police, "They started actually doing dinner together and went mountain biking."
So is Becky a recent acquaintance? If so how does she know all this detailed stuff? Maybe she's not so recent an acquaintance and we've been ignoring a material part of the story.
In the 1998 Mantou Springs Mayors Cup, Becky, a distance runner, shows up here:
"63 9/9 BECKY HOERTH 25 0:46:31.1"
Rozita Swinton and Becky Hoerth have known each other for a while it would seem, both are members of
Pikes Peak Road Runners. They've known each other, for a while it would seem. Three years or more.
But the bottom line is that after escaping cameras by rescheduling EARLY on Friday, Rozita and her attorney probably missed a more aggressive press corp on Monday by not showing up at all. Neither of them."A woman considered a person of interest in an investigation of phone calls that may have sparked a raid on a Texas polygamist group appeared in a Colorado courtroom Tuesday, a day after she was supposed to appear in a separate case.The lawyer for Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs said the no-show on the charge of violating probation was because of a misunderstanding and Swinton didn't realize she had to appear, said Kathleen Walsh, a spokeswoman for the 18th Judicial District.
The judge then quashed an arrest warrant that was issued after Swinton failed to appear at the hearing Monday, Walsh said. She will be due in Douglas County District Court again Aug. 6."
Ok, I KNEW, and if Rozita didn't think SHE had to show, why is it that her attorney didn't think HE had to show? We all knew out HERE she had to be in court, neither of them did? This smells.
I smell either Tactics or BS, one or the other. Most likely BOTH. Another delay for a month, just like the last time. Now we get Harry Reid's Senate hearings and more Texas Grand Jury Funtime before Rozita is in court again. You ABSOLUTELY cannot get me to believe that this is the real story.
Again, I knew she was to be in court today, the PRESS knew she was to be in court today, SHE DIDN'T KNOW? Her attorney who is an experienced prosecutor "didn't know?" Whatever happened we now have people politely agreeing to say it was all "just a misunderstanding." Time to roll up you pants, it's too late to save your shoes.
PS: I'm going to add my best guess. She flew the coop, and her attorney knew it, therefore David Foley didn't show. I don't know when the honorable Mr. Foley got the call from Rozita that she had taken off, but he got it. Maybe she's in Tennessee when she calls, who knows. She can't make it back to Colorado in time to be in court.
Douglas county issued a media communique that said there would be "more information in the morning" about the arrest warrant, which they pretty much had to issue. THIS suggests that David Foley is in communication all day with Douglas county trying to smooth things over and by the end of today, a compromise is reached. Rozita will come back, we'll say it's all a big misunderstanding, and reset the court date to August 6th. Well, you know what my buddies Penn and Teller would say.
SHE'S A FUGITIVE! The AP via The Fort Worth Star Telegram;CASTLE ROCK, Colo. - "An arrest warrant was issued Monday for a woman considered a person of interest in phone calls that may have sparked a raid on a Texas polygamist group. The warrant was issued after she didn't show up in court on the charges of violating probation.
Rozita Swinton, of Colorado Springs failed to show up for a hearing in Douglas County District Court on Monday afternoon for one of two false-reporting cases against her in Colorado."
Maybe she ran off with the one armed man. My instinct would be to check first, at her Foster Mother's house. David Foley, her attorney, DID NOT SHOW EITHER.
The Salt Lake Tribune - "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will take his quest for a federal investigation of a polygamous sect before the Judiciary Committee next week.
The Nevada Democrat requested and received the July 24 hearing before the committee, during which he will present evidence to support a federal crime investigation of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a spokesman said."
The foster mother of Rozita Swinton, who was so concerned about the effect publicity would have on "the Children" has her website back up. Supposedly connecting her with her REAL name would be a danger to "the Children."
The Deseret News -"Custer County Sheriff Fred Jobe obtained the warrant after FLDS members initially denied them entry to the property near Westcliffe, Colo., on July 3. Custer County zoning director Jackie Hobby told the Deseret News she was investigating a zoning complaint about property owned by a member of the polygamous sect.
'We have to follow up on complaints,' she said Friday."
Yes, yes of course, let's have ourselves a "witch hunt." I've heard there are witches out there.
"Hobby said she had concerns about venturing onto the property alone and asked to have a police escort.
'They (the FLDS) said no, I could come by myself but I couldn't bring the cops in,' she said."
Aww, are we afraid that the FLDS might react like they did in Eldorado and form a human cordon around, um, a, concrete pad?
"'Jobe obtained a warrant that allowed him and another deputy to escort Hobby onto the property, she said. Jobe didn't return a call seeking comment on Friday, but he told Westcliffe's Wet Mountain Tribune newspaper the warrant did not allow them to search anything for signs of criminal activity.
'Had we seen any criminal activity in plain sight we could have taken action. But that was not the case. We saw no criminal activity,' he told the newspaper."
My guess is the building inspection and the warrant for Jobe to bring a deputy was really to get the deputy on site so if there was some "criminal activity" they could "see it." They did cite the FLDS in Colorado with a couple of building code violations.
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