The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against two towns dominated by a polygamous sect on Thursday, accusing officials of failing to protect nonmembers and enforcing the edicts of leader Warren Jeffs above the law.Read the rest here.
The complaint filed in Arizona’s U.S. District Court accuses the twin towns of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, of "operating as an arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," for at least 20 years. It marks a departure for the federal government, which has until now steered clear of filing cases against FLDS members.
There are nearly two dozen allegations in the lawsuit, many involving the police agency the towns share. The earliest incident dates back to 2000, when attorneys say Colorado City town marshals confronted a sect member in an attempt to return an underage bride to her husband’s home after she fled.
Other accusations include police helping euthanize the town’s dogs at Jeffs’ order, keeping a woman in jail overnight on an inaccurate underage alcohol charge and threatening arrest of non-FLDS children if they continued to play at a city park.
The lawsuit also accuses town water and power utilities of refusing to provide housing permits and utility hookups to nonmembers or to allow them to move into homes.
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ReplyDeleteNo trolling. Stay on topic.
ReplyDeletegee, sounds like ObamaCare is using this as an attack on Mormons in general and Mr. Romney in particular.
ReplyDeleteTiming is curious isn't it?
I doubt there is anything political in this. I have been aware of these cult towns for several years and this is long overdue. I think 60 minutes did a piece on them a couple years ago. They got harassed by the cops for just being in the town. It was beyond creepy.
ReplyDeleteThis is long overdue!
ReplyDelete