I thought that Polygamy was illegal in all of the States and wondered why the Texas judge let it go. I can understand that the children need their parents,but what about the fathers and mothers who are polygamists? Wasn’t one of their leaders sent to prison because of Polygamy?
Monavis
I don’t know all the details, but I believe the issue is that the second (and third, etc.) marriages are not legal marriages, but “spiritual” marriages, which then skirt the law.
In my 24 years in Texas, I never ever heard of polygamy. And out where I was stuck, which was not really all that far from this cult, it’s quite likely an unofficial delegation would have taken the situation in hand if any were known to crop up. Times sure have changed.
I think Ca3799 got it.
As far as I know, only Utah has the law written so as to punish anyone living with one or more person in a spousal relationship, thus negating the “grey area” of the spiritual union or joining that is so popular with the FLDS folks.
The polygamists may be able to skirt the law, but as I remember that part of the state, the residents were pretty “upright Christian folk” who would probably not have been overly squeamish about taking matters into their own hands if confronted with what they would certainly have considered the “work of the devil.” As I said, times have changed.
Not exactly. Warren Jeffs was convicted last year on two counts of accomplice rape.
He has not been convicted of polygamy himself.
Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states.
The current “prophet” of the FLDS is in jail, not because of polygamy, but because of being an accomplice to the rape of a child by forcing her to “marry” an adult man.
Although polygamy is illegal, there aren’t any laws (at least, none which would be upheld) against living in a house with many women and performing a religious marriage ceremony with them and having children with them, as long as they’re not underage. Some of the slightly less nutty polygamist sects practice this way and in general don’t get bothered by anyone.
In the case of the FLDS nutters in Texas, the children were removed from the church property due to suspicion of child abuse (the above mentioned child-bride shenanigans.) The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled that the state authorities had no right to seize all the children as there was no proof that they were all in imminent danger. The arguments had nothing to do with polygamy, but with child sexual abuse.
There are many parts of Texas and other states “out West” where it’s not really worth the effort for the State to get involved. Small collectives, far away in everybody else, in already remote and inhospitable areas, mostly keeping to themselves. Colorado City, AZ & Hildale, UT; the ranch compound outside Eldorado, TX; a similar compound outside Pringle, SD (population 125). The areas that aren’t an obscure compound a lengthy distance from the nearest one horse town (TX, SD) are usually FLDS towns so dominated by their church the pastor vetoes and expels the Mayor, so “legit” law enforcement presence or backup is difficult. Government intervention in wacky compounds like the Short Creek Raid, Ruby Ridge, or the Branch Davidian siege in Waco and all the media fallout has made such efforts, even where feasible, very undesirable to do. I can’t say why the current TX case is at is is through a By (Sam & friedo got it), but as for why such medieval communities continue to exist with such knowledge about them, well, you have a lot more freedom in the Desert than in other places.
As noted above, UT does have such a law. What makes you think it wouldn’t be upheld?