Protecting the Children from whom?

Presented by: Susan Myres & Thomas L. Ausley

VIEWS OF THE RANCHFundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints

Next were the Wanderers and Explorers Cabeza de Vaca Francisco Vasquez

de Coronado Hernando de Soto La Salle St. Denis

Aury Laffite Mexico’s

Independence from Spain in 1810

Life at the Ranch

The Magnitude and Scale

Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long

Born in Maryland 1798 Married James Long 1815 (17) Defended the fort with her

servant when all the men left “First Lady of Texas” Gave birth to the first Anglo

child Widowed while James jailed

in Mexico (stealing land) Successful boarding house

and plantation owner in Ft. Bend, Texas

Stephen F. Austin

Father of Texas The 1st President of

the Republic Never married No children Jailed in Mexico A leader of the

revolution

A phone call that led tothe removal of 463 children-

call March 30th removed April 3rd

How the

attorneys

became involved

—over

400 strong

The gathering in San AngeloBuses arrive Housing in the

coliseum or annex

THE PARENTS “OUTCRY” TO GET THEIR CHILDREN BACK

The Road to Revolution Declaration of Independence March 2,

1836 Goliad – black bean The Alamo - March 6 Battle of San Jacinto – April 21,

1836 Independent Republic 1836-1845

Santa Anna

President of Mexico Fought against Sam

Houston at the decisive battle of San Jacinto

Had 3 wives and numerous others

The players

Sam Houston Commander-in-Chief -led

the revolutionary forces President - the Texas

Republic Led Texas into the United

States Senator- loved by the

north, reviled by the south

Governor Bigamist Young women Alcohol

“14 day hearing” (4-17 and 4- 18)

Separation and Foster Care

Republic or Union

John Quincy Adams – No Martin Van Buren – No Indian genocide with President Lamar –

too busy to worry William Henry Harrison – No John Tyler – No James K. Polk - Please

James Knox Polk

George Mifflin Dallas

What would have happened if Houston’s dream came true.

Status hearings, media and logistics

30.6

Mothers appeal taking of children

The Media

Appeals

3rd Court of Appeals ordered the District Court to Vacate her ruling (5-22-08)

The Texas Supreme Court affirmed that decision (5-29-08)

The children are ordered to be returned (6-2-08) with parenting plans

ClassesAccessCooperation

The Gates Case – July 28, 2008

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

“the government may not seize a child from his or her parents absent a court order, parental consent, or exigent circumstances…based on the totality of the circumstances, there is a reasonable cause to believe that the child is in imminent danger of physical or sexual abuse if he remains in his home.”

Urgent Legal Advisory

for InvestigationsApplies to all CPS personnel effective 8-

22-08

The story continues

All children returned to the ranch

A significant voting block of the county

Clamp down on all access to and from the outside world

The cost.

$4.5 M for 11 convictions$10 M for taking of children$2.4 M in other agency costs

Total Cost $20,000,000 +

11 Cases proceed to prosecution

12 Convicted

Warren Steed Jeffs Abram Harker Jeffs Leroy Johnson Steed Frederick Merril Jessop Raymond Merril Jessop Wendell L. Nielsen

Allan Keatte Michael Emack Merrill Leroy Jessop Keith W. Dutson Lehi Barlow Jeffs

11 Convicted

Convicted in 2011 of bigamy and child sexual assault of his two young brides

Sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison Appeal rejected March 2012 Must serve 35 years of life sentence and half of the

20 year sentence before being eligible for release Eligible for parole approximately July 22, 2038 Still rules his flock from prison

Warren Steed Jeffs

Warren Jeffs’ 50 wives

Convicted of child sexual assault in 2010

Married to a 14 year old girl

Sentenced to 17 years in prison and a $10,000 fine

Abram Harker Jeffs

Convicted of bigamy & child sexual assault in 2010

No contest plea Sentenced to 7 years in

prison

Leroy Johnson Steed

Convicted in 2011 of performing an illegal wedding in 2006 between Jeffs and underage girls

75 years old Sentenced to 10 years in

prison

Frederick Merril Jessop

Convicted in 2009 of bigamy and child sexual assault

38 years old Previous accomplice to

rape in Utah, proven with genetic testing

Sentenced to 75 years in prison and a $10,000 fine

Raymond Merril Jessop

Convicted in 2012 of bigamy for 3 of his 21 wives

These 3 wives’ ages were 43, 58 and 65

Sentenced to 10 years in prison

Wendell L. Nielsen

Convicted in 2009 of child sexual assault

61 years old Sentenced to 33 years in

prison

Allan Keate

Convicted in 2010 of bigamy and child sexual assault

No contest plea; appeal rejected in 2011

Sentenced to 7 years in prison

Michael Emack

Convicted in 2010 of bigamy and child sexual assault

Sentenced to 75 years in prison and a $10,000 fine

Merril Leroy Jessop

Convicted in 2010 of child sexual assault

Married to 15 year old girl

Sentenced to 6 years in prison and a $10,000 fine

Keith W. Dutson

Convicted in 2010 of bigamy and child sexual assault

Pled no contest to bigamy and child sexual assault

Sentenced to 8 years in prison for bigamy and 8 years for child sexual assault

Lehi Barlow Jeffs

Physician to the FLDS ranch

Charged with 3 counts of failure to report abuse

Posted $5,000 bond in 2008

Status of case, unknown

Dr. Lloyd H. Barlow

You have to ask Could it happen again? Why weren’t adult

women charged with abuse or failure to report?

Why does the FLDS maintain tax exemptions?

Why don’t we collect child support for these children?

Why did they all go back to the ranch?

Why are we surprised it happened?

Why don’t we get as upset when the very same thing is happening in the poor parts of all our cities?

Child Brides news site

http://www.childbrides.org/news.html Texas Polygamy blog

http://texaspolygamy.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html Unofficial Texas FLDS website

http://texasflds.wordpress.com/

Resources