FLDS compound in Texas Court proceedings ONLY please!!!!!

[Blue_Dolphin308]

They can't make it through the hearing, since it's going to be going into tomorrow or however long? The state didn't say the children were living in unhealthy conditions, they said they were at risk. Is the hearing over for today?

No the hearing is still going on. I doubt they will get through everything today. It is taking ALOT longer then expected. I beleive though that this will be going on after hours aswell. Instead of court stopping at 5pm, it may continue on until 7-8 or later. Just my opinion though.

 

[2XL]

Perhaps the govt. can pay for it out of the FLDS funds or from the monies awarded as part of the contracts they have with flds businesses, or out of th welfare money these FLDS members are expecting to keep collecting.

Amen sista!! When there is a natural disaster that is acts of God, that is one thing. These people have created their on crisis, let them pay for it. From what is being said, they have already collected enough government money for spitting out babies and lying about not knowing who the father is, but hey, they may not actually know who the baby daddy is, hell they might be jumping from perv to perv. God, this makes me sick.

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

Summary of court proceedings today

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695271299,00.html

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

4:22 p.m. - Back in session. Opens with objection that the CPS supervisor testimony shouldn't be admitted as evidence.
According to testimony, the CPS investigator began to find 16-year-old mothers with small children and began looking for pregnant teenagers. She found many. Saw a pattern that girls would switch names under testimony and wouldn't provide full names. They did not, they told her, know their own dates of birth.
Talk goes to girls' classroom on the ranch. Several girls indicated there were some Sarahs on the ranch, and they went to school with Sarahs. There were no attendance logs in the classrooms. Journals were found in the classrooms.
During questioning at the ranch, some girls said they couldn't talk about certain things.
"The demeanor I observed from the girls was very closed off. They would say they didn't want to answer that question," the witness said.
Some girls would say who the father of the house is. Difficult to tell who is the biological father or father of the household.
Girls talked freely about chores on the ranch and how they pray and what they believe. But as to identifying persons in the home, they couldn't give specific information or refused to answer

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

4:39 p.m. - The CPS worker testifies she asked to see some girls from the ranch, and Merrill Jessop brought a group of girls, but only one was among those requested.
An objection is called out from the City Auditorium, taking a few tries before Judge Walther hears it in the county courthouse.
The CPS worker is asked about the decision to remove the girls and replies that her concern is a global pattern that underage marriage and children having children is permitted.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/apr/17/live-from-the-courthouse-updates-on-flds-custody/

 

[Leila]

3:20 p.m. - The CPS supervisor continues testimony: She went to the YFZ Ranch about 9 p.m. April 3. The team included herself and at least six investigators or special investigators, as well as two other CPS staff members.
Also along were law enforcement officers, including some from the Schleicher County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers.
The supervisor asked to come into the compound and discuss reports of abuse.
Law-enforcement officers told ranch residents they were there to see a child named Sarah.
"The men shook their heads and said there were no Sarahs living at the ranch," the supervisor tells the court.
So the investigators asked to come in and talk to the other children. They noticed a guard tower as tall as the courtroom, the supervisor said.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/apr/17/live-from-the-courthouse-updates-on-flds-custody/

The FLDS men at the gate evidently lied when they said there was no one by the name of Sarah there, because the children that were interviewed identified 5 girls by the name Sarah, and one indicated a Sarah that matched the description of the Sarah who called the help line.

I hope they let the CPS worker continue to testify.

 

[Leila]

3:45 p.m., SCHLEICHER COUNTY - Two Houston attorneys - Jason Castaneda and Damiane Curbey Danieh - are leaving the YFZ Ranch after meeting the mothers of their new ad litem clients being held in San Angelo.
Castaneda says, speaking of the court proceedings: "We expected it to be quicker."
Danieh says, "They we unable to get to the real issue of probable cause."
Danieh also notes: "Parents did not receive a copy of petition for removal, which is a big issue."
The two say they went to the ranch in part to see for themselves whether allegations that the children had been living in unhealthy conditions were true.
They were not, both say.
Another shortcoming in the state's case, Danieh says, is the lack of the 16-year-old whose complaint launched the entire case. Without the girl or further proof of allegations, she says, CPS doesn't have much of a case. The two say they are flying back to Houston tonight. They'll be back when their young clients have a court date, they say.

It's frustrating to read of these two attorneys. They don't understand the issues. It's not about unhealthy or unsanitary living conditions. It's about physical and sexual abuse. The attorneys aren't going to see evidence of that abuse by inspecting the homes of the children. They also can't trust the word of any of the mothers, as they've been coached on what to say, and believe it's ok to lie to your enemy (any outsider).

 

[Ca-Sun]

The dadophiles lied? I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

No kidding! Utter disbelief.

They are such a bunch of cowards, hiding behind their "spiritual" wives and doing what they want under the pretense of religion. "Dadophiles" I like that name -- it is very fitting.

 

[Trino]

It's frustrating to read of these two attorneys. They don't understand the issues. It's not about unhealthy or unsanitary living conditions. It's about physical and sexual abuse. The attorneys aren't going to see evidence of that abuse by inspecting the homes of the children. They also can't trust the word of any of the mothers, as they've been coached on what to say, and believe it's ok to lie to your enemy (any outsider).

Attorneys take cases. They don't interject their personal feelings; remember all the lawyer jokes?

 

[Leila]

Fox News - Shepard Smith reporting that the hearing will go on until 9:00pm tonight, central time.

Also, the Fox reporter on scene talked about the bishop's document that listed men and their wives by name. He said that one man at the YFZ ranch has 22 wives, the youngest is 16 years old.

It would be interesting to know if that 16-year-old wife has any children.......if so, she would be one of the underage mothers.

 

[thefragile7393]

No the hearing is still going on. I doubt they will get through everything today. It is taking ALOT longer then expected. I beleive though that this will be going on after hours aswell. Instead of court stopping at 5pm, it may continue on until 7-8 or later. Just my opinion though.

Well with all these interruptions and interjections and tons of lawyers, social workers, and who knows who else it's going to take a GOOD while methinks....and this easily can turn into a huge circus if they aren't careful. It sounds like the judge is a no-nonsense kind of person, so I'm hoping it's all under control...but I still wish Judge Judy would get in there.

And I hope that the workers involved, judges, prosecuting lawyers, are all careful. I can easily see the men gunning down people who cross them...it's happened before. "Under the Banner of Heaven" and reading up on Jeffs is my source for that.

 

[golfmom]

ACK the hearing log disappeared ... I hit reload and it was gone!

ETA: Is there a live feed?

 

[Linda7NJ]

Hey! What happened to the LIVE FROM THE COURTHOUSE website?

I keep getting a page not found???

 

[Ca-Sun]

Hey! What happened to the LIVE FROM THE COURTHOUSE website?

I keep getting a page not found???

Try this: http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/apr/17/fldsday1/

 

[golfmom]

Try this: http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/apr/17/fldsday1/

THANK YOU! :blowkiss:

 

[golfmom]

I guess this is why:

As I am listening, a policeman comes over and asks me to follow him outside because he thinks the broadband device attached to my laptop computer is a camera. I miss some testimony.

 

[SuziQ]

Been gone all day and just caught up. The guy who said "keep sweet and come home". Well that sounds like witness intimidation to me.

Is it out of the realm of possibility to have the cases assigned to more than one judge? maybe a legal eagle here can weigh in. I would hate to have this fall apart because of problems starting to surface.

 

[golfmom]

Suzi, I just read this article which is an interesting highlight of today's activities:

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695271299,00.html

....
Walther, who described herself as a "simple country judge," tried to juggle objections from many of the more than 350 attorneys representing all areas of Texas who are present to handle the monumental case. Every mother has legal representation as do the children.

 

[golfmom]

Oh my, this isn't sounding good . . .
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIdMpRHjN4hpNKBhfYyAsR4DDo4QD903TU0G0


The hearing disintegrated quickly into a barrage of shouted objections and attempts to file motions, with lawyers for the children objecting to objections made by the parents' attorneys. When the judge sustained an objection to the prolonged questioning the state trooper, the lawyers cheered.

Upon another objection about the proper admission of medical records of the children, the judge threw up her hands.

"I assume most of you want to make the same objection. Can I have a universal, `Yes, Judge'?" she said.

In both buildings, the hundreds of lawyers stood and responded in unison: "Yes, Judge."

 

[LinasK]

Been gone all day and just caught up. The guy who said "keep sweet and come home". Well that sounds like witness intimidation to me.

Is it out of the realm of possibility to have the cases assigned to more than one judge? maybe a legal eagle here can weigh in. I would hate to have this fall apart because of problems starting to surface.

Darned right! Since "keep sweet" is a code for shut up and take it! Since there is evidence of a 16-year-old Sarah, perhaps the FBI will keep investigating and find her or her body. The FLDS has hidden her away somewhere or killed her to silence her, IMO.