On the Road Again....

And I can't wait to get off it. Back to Montana I go, to retrieve wife, and worldly possessions. More →

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Crusty does the research on "Underage Marriage"

Hey Kids! See what your Uncle Crusty has done!

From Crusty Logic - "The data indicated relative stability in ages from about 1350 to the early 1800’s. Around 1820 the upper age began to increase.

During the mid 18^th century there appeared to be a very noted temporary increase in bridal ages of those people in southern Europe. Not sure what the cause of this was. This drove up the upper end of the range but had only minimal impact on the overall average.

The two most significant jumps occurred in the quarter century ending in 1825 when the average age rose from 15.6 to 17 and in the quarter century ending in 2000 when the average age rose from 20 to 24.5.

The average age of all marriages from the genealogical data is 16.38. The lower age range dipped below 13 in the quarter centuries ending in 1425, 1500, 1550, 1675, and 1700."

It's a lot more interesting to read the whole thing and realize what a bunch of moralistic prudes we have become. I too note that in todays world marrying early for girls is a bit problematic but we're swimming seriously upstream trying to alter the natural order of things, and we're fooling ourselves, aren't we, to think we can legislate morality?

Do "Bible Believing" Christians actually think we are "progressing?" Scripture says there is nothing new under the sun, so armed with these statistics and a realization that the Bible you say you believe doesn't address the topic, where does that leave you?

Follow the link and read.

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14 more kids.

Instinct tells me to gear up for some bad news, but this is good such as it is;

The Deseret News - "(Today), lawyers for Child Protective Services went to court in San Angelo, Texas, to 'nonsuit' the 14 children, CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins confirmed to the Deseret News.

A nonsuit does not end CPS' investigation or supervision over the children but ends court jurisdiction over their cases. The reasons vary, from no evidence of abuse or neglect being found to parents taking appropriate steps to protect their children from abuse. Some age out of the system by turning 18."

There is of course, the obligatory language about "we're still out here in the weeds watching you," but that's 14 more. I'm losing track.

There is of course the opportunity provided by the wall to wall coverage of Obama to slip in something bad right before the Labor Day weekend and run off to do whatever overworked Government employees do while the media chews on their press releases as if they were Gospel.

There could also be an admission of something by CPS that they hope to cover up in the same atmosphere. There is too, the business with Rozita Swinton that her attorney hoped to "plead out" before her court date tomorrow. I'm sure everyone in the Press in Colorado Springs will be otherwise occupied. I might have to do some reporting myself.

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10 more FLDS kids go free, but "Big Brother"CPS still watches

The Texas CPS ends another 10 cases, but essentially has nothing better to do but keep "investigating." There are of course no other children being abused in Texas so the "valuable" time and resources of that department remain focused on the FLDS. To date they have taken away one child, Merrianne Jessop again, and no one can demonstrate the real danger of abuse to her, other than the belief system she is close contact with. If Texas keeps her, the precedent is established. You can thinkabuse your kids.

The Deseret News - "Texas child welfare authorities have filed papers seeking to drop more children of the Fundamentalist LDS Church from court oversight in the nation's largest custody case.

At the close of court on Tuesday, Child Protective Services filed to 'nonsuit' 10 more children taken in the raid on the Utah-based polygamous sect's YFZ Ranch near Eldorado, Texas. The decision means the children would be out from under court jurisdiction, but does not end CPS' investigation.

'The only reason we're ending the legal case is we don't feel it needs to be under the supervision of the court,' said CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins. 'CPS is satisfied that we don't need the supervision of the court.'

The reasons to nonsuit vary, Crimmins said. In some cases, there may be no evidence of abuse. In others, the parents have taken appropriate steps to protect the children. Some have also turned 18 and aged out of the system."

So far Texas has had almost 6 months to investigate all families at YFZ including some just visiting from out of state. So far they have found absolutely nothing connected to the original warrant nor have they found a crime as a result of the Super Power they had to see in one glance the age of a pregnant woman, the conception age of a woman walking around with a child, the fact that the woman walking around with that child is the child's mother and the age of her sex partner, and when and where conception took place. A little too bulky for you? Texas claims to be able to know on sight the age of all they look at, and they know what you did last summer. And the summer before that, and the summer before that. This is the second warrant in a nutshell. I can see things you can't.

The facts have shown Texas cannot do that. Veda Keate was not one of the child mothers with children seen at YFZ and to date no one has been able to name a connection between the indicted men and what was "seen" at YFZ during the raid. What was "seen" forms the basis for the second warrant.

Yet CPS keeps happily investigating away, alleging darkly by their action that there is something to find at YFZ.

Other things jump out at me in this article. One is that if there is no need for court supervision exactly what is it that forms the basis of an ongoing investigation. You could not get a single founder to line up and sign on to this sort of tyranny.

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It wouldn't surprise me

At this point I might just tune in the Democrat Convention to see if Rozita is on the floor somewhere. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me at all if she were there, and no one noticed.

Her attorney has publicly claimed hope for a "plea bargain" and she's set for court again on August 28th. Thursday. Whatever happens will be drowned by the thunderous applause of the media over Obama. More →

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All three indictments are for Bigamy against FLDS members already charged.

As speculated by your Modern Pharisee, the indictments handed down Thursday were in fact mostly for bigamy, and mostly against FLDS members already charged in the previous round of 6 indictments. They were in fact ALL for bigamy and ALL distributed among 3 of the 6 charged the last time.

The Deseret News - ELDORADO, Texas - Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs and two of his followers are the latest to be indicted by a grand jury here on third-degree felony bigamy charges.

The indictments were unsealed after Raymond Merril Jessop, 36, and Michael George Emack, 57, surrendered to authorities at the Schleicher County Sheriff's Office Friday afternoon. They were booked and released after each posted $10,000 bond.

'Of course, Warren's in jail,' Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran told the Deseret News after the arrests were made. "But they were able to post bond immediately. Everything was cooperative.' "

Bill over at "Free the FLDS children" is either on to something, or being satirical. Check him out. The continuing emptyness of the state's case is on parade. The evidence challenge has begun and none of the indictments handed down and unsealed so far can survive a successful challenge to the evidence. No one, I repeat NO ONE has been indicted on the basis of "evidence" seen at YFZ during the raid. The original warrant is worthless and will be shown to be so. The second warrant could easily end up going the same way.

The way I see it, Veda Keate has to be the state's lifeline. If she is identified as one of the FLDS wives seen at YFZ that day, with a child, the case could survive. Then the FLDS case would rest entirely on the validity of the first warrant and the state's sincerity in executing it. At this point I cannot be convinced that Texas acted in good faith going to YFZ in the first place. There are enough questions regarding the validity of the warrant, and the states own faith in that warrant. Utah and Arizona BOTH refused to act on calls made by Rozita Swinton with similar charges, discounting those calls as not being credible. They have since dropped the investigation into the "caller" who made those calls, that caller we all know is Rozita.

If Veda Keate turns out to be one of the causes seen at YFZ that day, namely, she was seen with a young child, then it may be over for the FLDS Five and anyone else who is indicted. If not, the states case SHOULD be over, but this is Texas after all. Proving bad faith in the execution of the first warrant will be extremely difficult and would involve proving a conspiracy involving CPS and/or law enforcement.

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Does Texas Plan to Charge Itself?

49 more cases were dropped against FLDS families and children.

The Salt Lake Tribune - "The dismissals have cited reasons that include teens turning 18, parents completing court requirements and a family's lack of history of underage marriage or abuse.

Still pending are cases involving another 290 children. One girl has been returned to state custody - a 14-year-old (Merrianne Jessop) apparently married to the sect's leader, Warren S. Jeffs, at age 12."

Merrianne is the sole FLDS child in custody. In that she is "Spiritually Married" to Warren, she wass probably the most sexually secure girl at YFZ. She was astounded to know that it was only her that was being put back into state custody.

The truth is, they are try to get to FLDS leadership by taking and abusing a hostage.

Since Texas still performs to this day, "underage marriages," will they charge themselves?
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Warren Jeffs begins evidence challenge

The evidence challenge begins.

The Salt Lake Tribune - PHOENIX - "A lawyer for polygamist sect leader Warren S. Jeffs said Friday that he plans to fight the use of evidence seized during a raid on the sect's Texas ranch at Jeffs' trial in Arizona.

Attorney Mike Piccarreta told a judge at a court hearing in Kingman that he will challenge the search because it was based on a call that Texas authorities should have known was a hoax.

'They proceeded to search the premises nevertheless,' Piccarreta said after the hearing. 'And there are also a whole assortment of constitutional errors by the Texas authorities, and we intend to raise each and every one of them.' "

With the cacophany of voices that want to lynch the FLDS, certain that crimes have been committed and that condition justifies any tactic by the law, this is an important phase in the saga that began when Warren was charged as an accomplice to Elissa Wall's as yet undocumented rape. Warren stands convicted of a rape not yet shown to occur, his followers have had their homes ransacked and every minutae of their lives examined for crimes in a country with too many laws. Police are always confident that if they can have every scrap of information in your life, they can through YOU in jail.

This is what they do to the FLDS and to their leader Warren Jeffs. You may not like Warren, you may be squeemish when it comes to what the FLDS see as normal, even as I am. If you want however, to live in a country that is free, you had better hope they win. The issue was never "did they violate laws." The issue has always been "can government be restrained so that YOU can be free." Not the FLDS, YOU.
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And again, the FLDS offer surrender.

Just as before, the state of Texas pretends that secrecy is necessary to achieve arrest. Just as before, the FLDS offers immediate surrender and cooperation.

The Salt Lake Tribune - SAN ANGELO, Texas - "Attorneys representing a polygamous sect have asked Texas authorities to disclose the three individuals indicted by a grand jury Thursday so the FLDS members can voluntarily surrender to the Schleicher County Sheriff's Office.

In a letter sent to the Texas Attorney General's Office today, attorneys Cynthia Orr and Gerald Goldstein reiterated an offer made before Thursday's session to cooperate if the jury issued any indictments.

The attorneys said that upon notice of any indictments, the individuals named would voluntarily surrender 'at Sheriff [David] Doran's office with dispatch.'

The letter also requested that there be a discussion of a reasonable bail amount because those indicted, all members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 'do not present a flight risk and will present themselves whenever the court deems appropriate.'

On Thursday, the Schleicher County Grand Jury indicted three individuals on felony charges. The attorney general's office declined to specify the nature of the charges or the individual's names until they have been arrested."

If the pattern of indictments continue, and new men are named, even charged men now out on bail, I'm going to guess that Texas will conduct a show raid to "frog walk" a prisoner or two in front of the camera, despite the fact that they have surrendered in the past, and will almost certainly do so again. More →

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The Real Obscenity

This, speaks for itself. Is this not child abuse?

The Salt Lake Tribune - The video, taken by a relative, shows the girl clinging to her mother, sobbing, in a vehicle parked outside a state building. Two CPS workers hovered beyond the open passenger door and a handful of Texas Rangers were nearby.

"Mother, mother, please don't let me go," she cried. "Mother, mother, don't let them take me. They're not nice."

The girl balked when a caseworker said she needed to get out of the vehicle.

"I'm not getting out until you tell my mother where I'm going," she said. And then: "How can I leave my mother? How long will this be?"

Her mother and sisters eventually hugged her goodbye inside the building as two brothers looked on.

"I told her to hang in there, the Lord will help her through it and we'll be praying for her," said brother Samuel, 17, who spent two months in state care at a boys' ranch this spring. "The thought of leaving her there with nobody she knew was about all I could handle."

His sister's return to foster care is more difficult to take, he said, because the first time the children "were together. She's not. She's by herself."

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Three more FLDS indictments

Three more;

The San Angelo Standard-Times - ELDORADO, Texas — "The grand jury investigating crimes within the Fundamentalist LDS Church returned three felony indictments against three separate people, a court clerk confirmed."

At this point we don't know if it's just three more indictments against the same men indicted last time.

UPDATE - The Standard Times had this to add later in the day;

"The indictments were against three people, District Clerk Peggy Williams said, but she declined to discuss any further details - including even whether the indictments name any of the same men charged by the grand jury at its July meeting.

'I'm not going to go into that until these people have been arrested,' she said.

The reticence is a shift in the case; last month, state Attorney General Greg Abbott announced the indictments - leaving out only the names of the men - at a news conference outside the Schleicher County Courthouse."

I'm going to bet that all or some of the charges are bigamy charges, against the same men. Or simply more charges against the same men.

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Grand Jury back at it.

I'm still wondering about those original 18 "sealed indictments." Oh well, they're at it again;

The San Angelo Standard-Times - ELDORADO - "Schleicher County's grand jury is meeting a third time this morning to determine whether any additional charges should be filed against members of the polygamous sect that moved here nearly five years ago."

We shall see. More →

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The Virginity of the Bride

Warren Jeffs 12 year old (now 14 year old) bride is probably a virgin. That's my guess. A variety of thing may make this hard to prove but you can bet on Texas behaving in a specific way.

In ancient times the "evidence of virginity" was the bloody sheet on which a virgin lost hers. In modern times, we are less concerned with virginity and a variety of occurrences can cause the breaching of a hymen, including use of certain feminine hygiene products. At least, that is what I am told by those in a position to know.

So after this rather personal discussion of biology, we can guess what Texas will do next. If they believe, for one second, that Warren's now 14 year old betrothed has been deflowered, or cannot produce evidence of her virginity, they will examine her. She is now theirs to do with as they please, they are state, parent, prosecution to her parents and husband and they need the evidence.

If you hear them talking about what a violation of her rights and how damaging it would be to her to do this. If they speak of how unenlightened such and act would be, anything along those lines including "no comment," then she's a virgin. Or at least, she can prove she is. More →

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Forgone Conclusion. Retaking the FLDS Children begins

Someone had to go back into state custody. You knew it, I knew it too. It's evidenced by this in the Salt Lake Tribune;

"Gonzalo Rios, Barbara Jessop's attorney, had asked for both children to remain with their mother with additional restrictions. He said his client was the only parent that was never offered a safety plan. 'She never got anything other than "We want the children," ' he said."

Justice is never served by forgone conclusions. When the judge is in someones pocket, they never negotiate in good faith. This is the clearest in a long line of behaviors and decisions that say the Judge is not a Judge, but an advocate for one side in the conflict.

Reminder. This action came exactly 60 days after I said Texas would move in 60 days to take the kids back. More →

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CPS and "Marriage Porn"

Now that the FLDS have shown some backbone (in truth, they did so in April when the put Rozita on the witness list), the odd "train wreck" sort of entertainment value returns to the court room between witnesses and CPS attorneys. The Deseret News;

"Is it wrong for a girl under 17 to marry a man more than 21 years older than she is?"

This is one of the questions, to which Barbara Jessop took the fifth. Asking the questions was CPS attorney Jeff Schmidt. Is it WRONG for a 17 year old to marry a 38 year old? Marriage Porn. Because it is legal in a lot of places for him to have SEX with that 17 year old. It's legal for him to even marry that 17 year old and I know of NO state where it is illegal for her to marry if she has parental permission to do so at that age.

What the state suggests is that even though it is not illegal it's clearly not the intent of the law to allow such unions and parents who teach or believe a doctrine of marriage between such disparately aged persons teach a great obscenity. Marriage Porn. For teaching this heinous doctrine, they make unfit parents out of themselves.

Again I call on all of you (after the laughter dies down) to WAKE UP. Schools rush to teach sex education to our children, at increasingly young ages. They now raise across the country both ages of consent to sexual relations (with a catch) and ages to marry. Usually the age to marry in these new laws are ages older than that of consent to relations.

First. The state teaches your child HOW to have sex and how to prevent pregnancy. Do so before they even reach puberty.

Second. The world bombards them with sexual imagery. I was watching the ABC "Family" channel the other day and some unnamed drama had kids disrobing entirely as a prelude to sex. The family aspect I suppose was that they "loved" each other and "consented" to the relationship and while they got naked, we never SAW "what counts" and while they embraced closely, they were interrupted just before they "did the deed." Family fare I guess. Drop trow, rub uglies, but stop right before anything irrevocable happens. I guess it provokes family discussion. By the way, I DIDN'T see a condom anywhere in the scene.

Third. While the age of consent may be 16 or 17 in a given state, the age of consent between minors below the age of consent is a moot point. Thus, kids are educated in sexual behavior, thus encouraging them to have sex. Kids are bombarded with suggestions that they HAVE sex (with one another) and feel terrible pressure to do so above and beyond the normal dictates of biology.

Last, in the "no harm, no foul" zone of mutual teen sex, you CAN'T get married but you CAN have all the sex you want with birth control being dispensed for instance TO YOU by the State (California) even without your parents permission, and without their knowledge.

OK, I'm a broken record about this but I have to say it again. In my view, "child sex" and all, the FLDS way is clearly better. FLDS men do not abandon their "child brides" and the children of those unions grow up with a father and a mother. In terms of practical effect, there's no argument, only our horror and revulsion that the next door neighbors father might start "boinking" our own daughter in such a world. After all, the man has a big house, lots of room and can feed her. Horrors. Better that she go for a roll in the back seat of the car with his 16 year old son, right? Bring condoms?

There is also this exchange;

"(Barbara Jessop's attorney Gonzalo) Rios successfully got photos of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs kissing underage girls kept out of his case, but Child Protective Services introduced records that detailed at least nine marriages involving underage girls to older men.

Concerning Barbara Jessop's 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son, CPS workers said they have exhausted efforts to avoid placing them in foster care. Efforts to find others to care for the children haven't worked out.

'How many am I supposed to contact?' CPS investigator Ruby Gutierrez asked a lawyer representing Jessop's daughter.

Gutierrez acknowledged that the 11-year-old boy has shown no signs of abuse but said his sister being married to Jeffs at age 12 no doubt had an effect on him. She testified that two of Jessop's adult sons took underage brides, and three daughters were married underage.

But with Jeffs in jail, Rios asked her if she had any evidence to show marriages are happening now. She said she did not have any beyond Aug. 2, 2006 — weeks before Jeffs was arrested."

We're supposed to take CPS workers word for it that they can't find someone suitable to care for Barbara Jessop's children? Their definition seems to be that no one who is FLDS would do and of course all the family available are, FLDS.

Strangely though, they are sure that the 12 year old son has been "effected" even though there are no signs of abuse. Clearly to have children, you must have beliefs that conform with state standards. More →

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FLDS Begins to fight. Walther practices outcome based justice.

In a story emphasizing how many times (50) Barbara Steed Jessop plead the 5th, I found far more interesting elements than simply her stubborn (and I believe rightful) refusal to answer. The San Angelo Standard-Times;

"Barbara Jessop sat in the courtroom as her attorney, San Angelo lawyer Gonzalo Rios, peppered Walther with objections to dozens of documents CPS attorneys introduced as evidence.

The documents - bishop's records, marriage certificates and pictures recovered from the sect's temple annex at the Schleicher County compound - were obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protections against illegal search and seizure, Rios said.

'This evidence was gained illegally,' he said. 'At best, there's a question about whether a legal search warrant was issued.'

The warrant authorizing law enforcement and CPS to raid the ranch starting on April 3 was based on phone calls now believed to be a hoax."

Not that Judge Walther is going to hear any objection no matter how well founded. If this keeps up I firmly believe she will be forced to dig her own grave in this case. Walther's ramrod, hell bent for leather judicial style will create problems later. Get those witnesses on the stand I say, let them not testify, let them plead the 5th and let Walther ignore well founded objections to evidence. The case will blow up in some higher judicial venue because Walther is practicing a sort of outcome based justice where the goal is already scripted and all objections that might derail Walther's train, are swept aside.

"Walther overruled the objection, questioning how Jessop could have standing to dispute the seizing of documents not contained in her home."

Yes, I am no lawyer but even I can see through this one. If you're being beat up directly or indirectly as the result of illegally seized evidence you have standing. It's your Ox being gored. Walther here does not really address the objection of evidence being illegally seized, but tries instead to change the subject.

There must be no leverage they can apply to Barbara Steed Jessop, as evidenced by these specific examples of taking the 5th.

"Barbara Steed Jessop - wife of ranch leader and Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints bishop Merril Jessop - refused to answer a series of questions, from as mundane as how much her husband earns each month to as pointed as whether she witnessed a marriage of an underage girl to an older man."

As pointed out, one question goes to the whole point of the cases, the other does not. Mrs. Jessop is allowed to take the 5th. This is an aggressive stance on Mrs. Jessop's part.

Judge Walther continued to steamroll the proceedings, issuing her customary ultimatims.

"(Walther) dismissed the court for lunch, telling (Jessop's Attorney Gonzalo) Rios he could have the recess to think about what he wishes to do."

Wow, that's magnamous. You'd think Walther was scolding a child and sending him to the corner to think about it while all the other kids go outside to play.

"'We're hopeful that we will have an agreement reached in this case,' said CPS spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner, 'and that the judge will have an agreement' to sign."

Let's face it, none of the "agreements" are in fact "agreements" any more than the "cease fire" that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was forced to sign. More →

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Will Barbara force FLDS mothers to sign "Safety Plan?"

The extortion continues. Faced with possible removal of their children, again, it would seem that moms now wish to make a deal. Of course, you can't trust the press or the state to tell you what's going on exactly, until you know exactly what's going on. The Houston Chronicle;

"Judge Barbara Walther was to consider a motion this morning by Child Protective Services to regain custody of the eight children. That hearing now is postponed as attorneys huddle behind closed doors to negotiate terms that could keep the children with their parents, members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The six girls and two boys, who range in age from 5 to 17, were among 440 children CPS seized from the group's ranch near Eldorado in early April on the basis of allegations that underage girls were being married to older men.

A ruling by the Texas Supreme Court resulted in the children's return to their parents in June. Two weeks ago, CPS filed a motion to regain custody of the eight children, saying their mothers had failed to sign a safety plan that would keep the children away from alleged sexual perpetrators."

This stinks of course. Don't sign the "Safety Plan" and you will be forced to give up your children because you expose them to ideas the state says are bad for them. DO sign the "Safety Plan" and you then subject yourselves to formal limits of behavior because they have been mutually agreed upon.

There is little free will in this arrangement. As many who have fought the CPS in states all across the country, this is simple extortion. More →

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Finally, Swinton linked to Texas FLDS case.

Now we're talking. Hat tip to kbp. The Deseret News;

SAN ANGELO, Texas — "A judge here has set an Oct. 1 hearing on a challenge to the law-enforcement search of the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch.

Among those who could be witnesses at the contentious hearing: the woman who allegedly made hoax calls that sparked the raid on the polygamous sect's property in west Texas. Rozita Swinton's name appears on a list of potential witnesses subpoenaed for either testimony or documents, according to court records obtained by the Deseret News."

I can wait. More →

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Check out Texas Teen Pregnancy Stats

Priceless, Read the post at "Free the FLDS Children;"

How Often Does a Teenager in Texas Get Pregnant?

Every 10 minutes, a teen in Texas gets pregnant.
Every 10 hours, a 14-year-old teen gets pregnant.
Every 3 hours, a 15-year-old teen gets pregnant.
Every 1.5 hours, a 16-year-old teen gets pregnant.
Every 52 minutes, a 17-year-old-teen gets pregnant.

Go there and read the rest of the article. More →

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I URGE the FLDS once more.

Proverbs 18:17;

"He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him."

QUESTION your adversaries. The only place you may do so is in court. 1st Corinthians 6:1;

"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?"

Are those that seek your harm not "gentiles" in your view? You are not barred from contesting with them. Acts 25:11;

"For if I (Paul) be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar."

Paul, a Roman citizen, appealed to the highest authority and was heard. Contend with them. They have contended with you. Appeal all the way. Appeal to the highest authority in the land. More →

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34 FLDS Children off the hotseat.

I love the way the headline reads too. There's no bias at the Houston Chronicle;

"Court lets CPS end oversight of 34 FLDS children."

Oh yeah. We were forced to do it, and finally, the courts have let us end our oversight. What kind of loon writes a headline like that? It's similar to all the screaming headlines about Levi Barlow Jeffs who was up on a misdemeanor beef who "plea bargained" to guilty. For a misdemeanor. To read the headlines you would have thought initatially that FLDS men were starting to "fess up" to sexual crimes. The stories made sure of course, that you knew there was a "girl" in the car with him. Levi by the way is all of 19. His crime was a failure to STOP when asked to. It's a TRAFFIC TICKET PEOPLE. But I digress.

"Friday's court action doesn't mean CPS ends its involvement with the 10 families of the 34 children, all members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a group that allegedly practices underage marriage.


"CPS may still investigate the families or deliver services."

"Deliver Services?" Did we fall straight through the 1984 Newspeak trapdoor to "Wonderland" with no fanfare at all? I get it that any entity or person will try to color or spin their phrasing to their benefit, but haven't journalists learned that they can paraphrase? There is no "service" the FLDS want from CPS or frankly need either. What next? Do we hear that the executioner was allowed to "end oversight" of a prisoner after he "delivered services?" CPS is never going to go away. They're going to hang around the doors of these people until every child in the house is 18.

"Last week, armed with new evidence, the agency returned to court to again seek custody, but this time only of eight children, six girls and two boys ages 5 to 17. The agency said it was doing so either because they lived in households that refused to condemn underage marriages or were actively involved in the practice.

(Judge Barbara) Walthers will hold hearings on that request beginning Monday in San Angelo."

I have freedom of speech in this country, and freedom of religion but if I express the view that what was once entirely legal in this country (as Willie Jessop also pointed out as recently as 100 or so years ago) and say it's a good idea, my children can be taken from me. Thank God they are grown because I have expressed just those ideas at home and apparently though I am free to express those ideas the children do not belong to me. They belong to the state. The state doesn't want their children to hear that kind of stuff.

Wake up. The dangerous agenda of CPS is still being pushed. They can go anywhere, anytime and if they determine you merely advocate beliefs they do not agree with, they can take your children. Anytime. In Canada churches have already been attacked by the government for merely preaching the unvarnished view the Bible expresses that homosexuality is wrong. The Bible is a book filled with "hate speech" by the standards of our liberal bureaucracy. Soon, merely refusing to condemn those attitutes expressed by God's law will be an abusive environment.

"CPS is still deciding what to do with the 400 or so pending cases."

Well we know now. They will either seek custody of the children or be let to terminate oversight, but still "deliver services." If CPS can have it's way, they'll NEVER go away and they will always threaten to take the children, and may actually do so. More →

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The Pharisee's position on prison, and jails.

I don't believe in them. I do not think any "Bible Believing" pastor should EVER utter from the pulpit, ONE WORD regarding harsh prison punishments, for ANYONE. The reason? In God's law, as given through his prophet Moses, of whom there is no one like him save Christ himself, there are no punishments involving confinement.

There is record of one instance in which a man was held "in ward" until judgement was passed, but he was not being held for punishment (Leviticus 24:12). The "Cities of Refuge" were just that. Refuges, sanctuaries for men who had killed another by accident. Hebrew law (which is God's law) required blood for atonement and a man, even an innocent man who had without malice caused the death of another, was liable for blood vengeance by the "avenger of blood" from the family of the deceased (Deuteronomy 19:6 and Numbers 35:12). In the early days of Israel, there was no government, and it was up to the family to execute judgement.

The city of refuge was a hiding place against the avenger of blood so that the man liable for manslaughter not be killed. When the high priest died (Numbers 35:12) the liable man was free. Thus there were no prisons in Israel. Prisons are of pagan design. They are not Godly. The command to punish involved monitary penalty, death, exile, occasional mutilation (based largely on the damage intended or done), lifetime obligation, or slavery in the case of a man who could not pay damages.

Prison is compared to HELL. We are commanded to visit those in prison. Scripture views prison with universal horror and revulsion. It is not a Godly tool.

Having said that, it is not PROHIBITED, and thus it is within the power of those appointed by God to rule to use prison if they so choose, but I cannot see it as Godly and I do not advocate confinement as a punishment for any crime.

This is where I use the "if I were King" illustration. I am not King nor do I expect to be but if I were there would be no prisons in this land. They would be emptied. There would be short retrials of all those in prison and if determined that they were in jail for crimes of a death penalty sort, they would die, right then and there. The rest would go free. More →

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Allen Steed won't cop a plea.

From KXAN.

"(Allen Steed's) attorney Jim Bradshaw says plea negotiations recently ended with no agreement.

A hearing is October 22nd to determine if prosecutors have enough evidence for a trial."

Hat tip to Christian or Biblical Polygamy. This is part of the overall FLDS persecution that has me on the edge of my seat. That's an uncomfortable place to be since it's taking so long. Allen Steed may not even go to trial. His conviction is by no means assured. If he is not convicted, it would be as if Warren Jeffs was thrown in jail for driving the getaway car for a robbery that was not planned and was not executed. Better yet, it would be like being accused of assisting in the rape of a girl, that was later found to be a virgin.

I can't wait to see what happens legally if Allen is never convicted. How do you keep a man in jail for a crime that was not planned and never occurred, as an accomplice to that non existent crime? More →

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The other FLDS alternative?

If they won't fight, and don't want to die. FLEE. More →

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PAC dead

My political action group is a dead issue for the foreseeable future. I've left Montana. More →

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Furious with the FLDS.

I'm done coddling the FLDS. Instead of opening fronts against those who choose to attack them, the FLDS lie down and embolden them instead. For a while the facts worked on the side of the FLDS and Texas was in disarray and cowering. Now, after watching the FLDS be content with the tiny crumbs that have been doled out, Texas attacks again. The Deseret News;

"Texas Rangers are investigating 20 cases of sexual assault and about 50 bigamy charges involving members of the FLDS Church, the Deseret News has learned.

Texas officials on Monday confirmed the number of open cases but would not say how many suspects were involved."

No one familiar with the facts of this case believe there are 50 "bigamous" FLDS men, as is evidenced by Rod Parker's "surprised" statement.

"Rod Parker, a Salt Lake attorney acting as spokesman for the Fundamentalist LDS Church, was surprised by the sheer number of sexual assault and bigamy cases.

And he insists there aren't enough men practicing plural marriage at the Yearning For Zion ranch outside Eldorado, Texas, to come up with 50 bigamy investigations.

"'I think they would have a problem coming up with 50 bigamy charges without charging the women,' Parker said."

Well, dummy, maybe you'd better wise up. THAT is what they're going to do. Smell the coffee.

"Even so, Parker believes Texas authorities will have a rough go at convicting a bigamy charge."

They're playing PERCENTAGES genius, they're also going back to the original playbook of impressing the press and impressing those who believe what they read in the press. If you charge 50 people with bigamy, it has to be true, right? Right?

You also silence the new cautious potential friends of the FLDS by scaring them into believing they defend those who are indefensible. You also tie up the resources of the FLDS by putting men and women in jail. You threaten to remove even more children by the predicted sequence of events THAT I GAVE YOU FORTY SEVEN DAYS ago. First, terminate the parental rights of the father. That isolates the mother as the only parent. Second, attack the mother's freedom with a criminal charge of some sort. Third, the parentless child is now a perfect target for state legal custody. Badda Bing, Badda Boom. Texas has what it came for. The genocidal destruction of the FLDS and their children. It just took longer.

The FLDS are not going to win this war by waiting for Texas to start being nice to them, they're not going to win this war with one battle. While they wait, Texas opens the war up again on several fronts and drains their attention and resources. In this intervening time between regaining custody of their kids and now, the FLDS should have opened lawsuits all over the west against as many respondents as possible and sued the living daylights out of all of them to tie them up, get their money (if possible) and get evidence into the record and discover evidence. They haven't done that. Now they pay.

I've hinted at it before and now I'm going to say it. They're going to lose my support. Not because I think they have suddenly gone from just to unjust or their cause from right to wrong, but because I cannot play the role of Dudley Do-Right to their perpetual and willing Nell Fenwick. If they're going to tie themselves to the railroad tracks and keep walking past Snidely Whiplash, I can't help. No one else can either. If it is their destiny in their minds to be Holy Martyrs, well then, they can have it. Fight or Die. It's been clearly laid out. It makes no difference to me at this point. If the FLDS Fight, then I will be there with them. If they choose to die, I will not. More →

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Texas Fast Tracks the custody hearings

It's as if they were afraid that at any minute, something could come out that would explode their case, so now it's full speed ahead. The Deseret News;

"Clerks in a San Angelo court said Friday the hearings were rescheduled for Aug. 18, and could last the entire week. They were previously scheduled for Sept. 25.

'We will present evidence that we believe will justify the non-emergency removal of the children and the attorneys and parents will be represented and can plead their case to the court," said Texas Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner. 'The judge ultimately decides if CPS gets temporary custody again.'"

I'm going to have to give this some thought. What's the big rush? What event is on the horizon that makes CPS suddenly in a hurry to get things done a over a month earlier? This is against a backdrop of terminating more cases.

"Texas child welfare authorities will not say if they plan to drop more cases involving children taken in the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch.

'Those decisions will be made as we complete individual investigations,' Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said Thursday."

Normally something comes to me right away, but the only thing I can think of is that Rozita is back in Court on August 28th, and a plea deal is pending of some sort. Maybe Texas wants to complete custody cases before they are compelled to make a decision about arresting Rozita. Somehow I don't entirely buy that.

My advice to the FLDS, get a good lawyer that specializes in noisy publicity and DELAY. Find out what it is that Texas is afraid of. Make them wait if you can. More →

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FLDS Felony Four are out...

The "sexy" cases, meaning the ones with felony charges are now out and about. The Salt Lake Tribune;

"The men, members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, turned themselves in July 28, and were detained in the Schleicher County Jail in Eldorado. A grand jury indicted the men -- Raymond Jessop, Michael Emack, Allen Keate and Merril Leroy Jessop -- on the charges, related to marriages with underage girls, on July 22; Leroy Jessop also faces a bigamy charge."

Dr. Lloyd Hammon Barlow who was charged with only misdemeanors was released on bond last week. More →

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Rozita's Douglas County Case (Castle Rock) given a continuance

Rozita Swinton was granted a continuance yesterday in Douglas County Court. It was explained to me when I called that her case there is dependent on the case in El Paso County. This does make sense. The continuance is until Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pm.

As indicated by her attorney in the story I referred to a few days ago, she is next scheduled for a pretrial conference on August 28th, 2008, 9am, Division "C" in El Paso county. Mr. Foley says he is working on a "plea bargain." One can only figure that he is trying to get a conviction that allows Douglas County (Castle Rock) the most latitude in dealing with her deferred sentencing over there.

I say she walks out without paying anything significant while pleading she is mentally ill. Mentally ill with what? I have doubted the "dissociative identity disorder" for a while. As Newsweek points out, her behavior is too calculating. Multiple personalities do not come out to help a person complete a con or a ruse. They come out to fill an emotional need such as a perceived need to protect another personality. In all probabilty though, a judge will be convinced that Rozita has this disorder, and go easy on her for that reason.

She's going to walk, and Texas doesn't care to arrest her for anything. They've had all the evidence they need for all the time they need to decide whether or not she is merely a "person of interest" or someone they need to arrest. They're not going to arrest her. The FLDS needs to SUE Rozita in Civil Court for damages so as to find out who, if anyone, helped her. Sue her, name Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, all the Attorneys General for those states, Flora Jessop and Sam Brower. I'm sure there are a few other names that could be added to the list. Find out what, if anything, went down. More →

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The Practical Polygyny of John Edwards?

John Edwards? Polygynist? (Update, affair portion now confirmed, paternity, not yet.) Or Jesse Jackson for that matter. In the latter case the Reverend Jackson's "extra marital" tryst has been proven, the only differences between the FLDS and the Reverend Jackson's practice is that the FLDS call their functionally similar relationships (similar to the point of being identical), marriages and the FLDS largely stick with their extra brides as opposed to discarding them and essentially making whores out of them. It would seem that former Senator John Edwards is doing the same as the Reverend Jackson. I haven't said much about it because this is one of those stories that could well blow up in your face if you assert it's "proven" that Edwards had this affair and "love child." The chances of that are diminishing every day.

So in Edwards case do we make a "Safety Plan" and move in and have him sign it and his mistress sign it? No, because in their case they will acknowledge they are wrong and society will forgive them. As long as it's done in the dark in ways that destroy lives as opposed to build lives, we will forgive them. When it's done brazenly, in the sense that when asked, the FLDS would acknowledge a marriage relationship, we hunt them down and destroy them. With as much of this sort of thing coming out about our leaders, both religious and political, you could probably place reporters full time on every US Senator or Representative and find a good deal of them behaving like the FLDS do. Only when caught, they will deny it. When shown the proof, they will repent, but God forbid they do what's right and stick with the women they have dalliances with, as opposed to leave them and their children. More →

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Green Acres

I got my vulnerable possessions into storage last night. I wasn't real happy with the storage unit I found but it's relatively clean, "modern era" and it's dry. I put everything in the truck in the storage unit last night. It then rained buckets overnight (and even more this morning). That makes me feel a bit better about my selection. Finding ANYTHING in the area is tough. Part of the difficulty centers around a sort of lethargic chatty "oh well" type of pace many of the locals take. Another is their dogmatic insistance that things are not the way they are, no matter what the facts say. (I admit this is sometimes a useful attitude).

I found a storage unit by finally getting in contact with one I had DESIRED to get, only to find that they had no large units. The lady was kind enough to tell me of another storage unit, which turned out to be a series of scattered units across the area. In the process she gave me specific directions that included going to a storage unit on "Quarry Hill Road" but as I sat there chatting on the phone with her, it became increasingly evident that there was NO "Quarry Hill Road," at least connecting to Main street, only a "Quarry Road" (no "Hill"). I looked around for a "Quarry Hill Road" before finally deciding to investigate "Quarry" and found out that what she insisted was "Quarry Hill Road" was in fact "Quarry Road." The proprietor of the storage unit also insisted the road was "Quarry Hill Road" regardless of all the cross road signage evidence that it was in fact "Quarry." Apparently that's the way it here and in a good deal of the state. Facts don't matter, it's what the locals think that matters and they will ignore the facts whenever they want to. It makes getting directions problematic. I'll spare you the colorful language I was using as I wandered about trying doggedly to use her directions. Needless to say my image would have been set back a bit by any who know me, had they been with me.

Bottom line is that I got the stuff in storage none too soon. I've had similar difficulties finding other storage units (go up to the light, turn left, keep going, I mean REALLY keep going, don't stop going, it's there) only to find absolutely nothing. Mapquest is apparently just as daunted getting locations because a subsequent trip based on Mapquest directions produced a search of a different close by area, but only with negative results. Where ever the storage unit the representative of the Bank I chose tried to direct me too, it's not in locations described by the English Language as I know it. I think I've moved to Green Acres. I'll just try to get Mr. Haney to show me around. More →

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New Raid on El Dorado, like I said there would be.

Take the kids illegally, coerce parents into signing "plans" and then say they're not complying. The San Angelo Standard Times;

"(Texas CPS is) seeking again the removal of eight children in four families, are the broadest release yet of evidence uncovered by investigators at the YFZ Ranch, the Schleicher County compound raided in April after allegations of physical and sexual abuse.

'All four motions have different facts to support them,' said Austin-based CPS attorney Charles Childress, who filed the motions about 1:30 p.m. "Mostly, it's about failure to comply.'"

There is some good news but even that is mixed with bad news. The best news would still be giving up on the case(s) altogether.

"Also today, CPS asked (Retired District Judge Marilyn) Aboussie to end the cases of 32 children 'where there is no evidence of underage marriages in the family.'"

Which reveals that the order the FLDS families apparently "failed to comply" with is most likely, having contact with those people who advocated for or participated in "underage marriage." They're still sticking to their guns that a belief system in and of itself is abusive. UPDATE, the Salt Lake Tribune says that is EXACTLY the cause.

"Texas authorities have asked a judge to place eight children from a polygamous sect back in foster care after their mothers refused to sign safety plans that limit their contact with men involved in underage marriages."

This should, though probably will not, outrage all fundamentalist Christians. What has been said here is that if the state sees a belief as oppressive, and you express that belief, the mere expression of that belief constitutes abuse. At least that's the way I read it.

Just a reminder that your Modern Pharisee said, Texas would move within 60 days to get the kids back, 46 days ago. More →

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Ok, what's the big deal?

Tell me, really. Why is it that YOU object to Polygamous marriage? What possible business is it of yours if the five adults across the street are claiming to be married, and consist of 1 man and 4 women?

I will accept answers of any sort, but I want to know WHY. It certainly isn't the unnatural setting aside of normal desires. Most Polygamy as practiced is actually Polygyny. It doesn't fracture the Judeo-Christian ORDER of marriage. Men are clearly heads of household and women subject wives. The relationships are heterosexual. Men and women are already living large scale in relationships that many who object to Polygyny also object to as immoral, but it's POLYGYNY that get's them riled up. So really. Why is it that it gets you all in a snit? More →

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The Next Sound You Will Hear is Rozita Slipping off the Hook.

Did the prosecution even READ the Newsweek article? "Factitious Disorder," calculating, and they're going to plea bargain Rozita Swinton? The El Paso Times.

"David Foley, her attorney, said Monday he's confident he'll reach an agreement with prosecutors before trial. A pretrial conference is scheduled Aug. 28."

You have to view Rozita as an attempted mass murderer. Any deal with her in the form of a plea bargain is hastening the day when she will do this again. She won't stop. Do we wait until she kills someone?

This is open and shut. She violated her probation. Impose the sentence. More →

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He's Baaaaaaaaack!

I'm on the other side of the country, away from my beloved Montana, and I haven't seen my new hometown by the light of day. Yet.

One flat tire in 2600 miles. I appologize to God for griping about it, that's pretty good for what I did in a 1993 Dodge with a 10,000 lbs trailer. More →

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