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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Details continue to trickle out, Texas is NOT so sure.

The Deseret News;

"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.

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Forecasting the FLDS Five's conviction chances.

Warren Jeffs various cases should be instructive. The San Angelo Standard-Times;

"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."

Warren's case seems to be going BACK to the Grand Jury. Will we run into similar outcomes in Texas? These are the FLDS faithful. Unless something stunning happens, like Natalie Malonis turns out to be NOT blowing smoke about Teresa Jeffs, who's going to testify in support of these charges? DNA evidence alone is not going to be enough. It may even be disallowed.

Texas has taken steps that say already they don't have confidence in some of the charges, such as getting NEW DNA samples (but probably relying on old ones) and only charging one suspect with Bigamy. Seriously, Raymond Jessop, hand picked husband of Teresa Jeffs, the daughter of leader Warren Jeffs and the granddaughter of yet another FLDS prophet, is married to ONE WOMAN and in his thirties? Give me a break. They aren't charging him with Bigamy because they don't think they will convict him of Sexual Assault. Apply the same sorts of reasoning to the others in the FLDS Five. More →

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Why is only Merrill Leroy Jessop charged with Bigamy?

Of the FLDS Five, only one man is charge with Bigamy. Merrill Leroy Jessop. Why Merrill Leroy Jessop? Raymond Merrill Jessop is charged with the same crime as Merrill Leroy, "Sexually Assaulting a child" but not with Bigamy.

I can only surmise that when the Grand Jury meets again, they will probably charge all but the Doctor with Bigamy as well. Either that, or they only feel confident of the charges against Merrill Leroy at this time. Texas will not charge any of these men with simple Bigamy. To file charges against them for "Sexually Assaulting a child" and "Bigamy" and then to learn no Sexual Assault occurred would leave them in the ugly position of prosecuting simple Bigamy, or dropping the charge. More →

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Which Children does Texas refer to?

I'm confused. Which children? Raymond Jessop's "Spiritual Wife," Teresa Jeffs, turned 17 over the weekend. The Austin American-Statesman;

"(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?"

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