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Texas Appeals In FLDS Custody Case; 12 Children Released

By Howard M. Friedman

The Deseret News reports that on Friday the state of Texas filed an appeal with the Texas Supreme Court asking it to stay the order of a state appellate court and keep over 450 FLDS children in foster care pending appeal of the lower court's decision to return the children to their parents. The Department of Family and Protective Services filed a Motion for Emergency Relief and a Petition for Writ of Mandamus. The state argued not merely that returning the children would subject them to risk of harm, but also that until DNA testing is complete the state cannot properly match children to the correct parents. In their Response, counsel for the parents said that the identification argument is a "red herring".

Meanwhile, according to the AP, in San Antonio on Friday the state reached an agreement with attorneys for three FLDS families to temporarily return their children to them. The agreement came after the families filed lawsuits in Bexar County seeking release of their children. The families will remain in the San Antonio area under state supervision.

As individual hearings continue in Eldorado, the media gave a good deal of attention to a photo introduced by the state in one of the hearings. It shows now-arrested sect leader Warren Jeffs romantically kissing a 12-year old girl. Today's San Angelo Standard-Times reports that the evidence was introduced in the hearing on custody of an infant who is the niece of the young girl pictured with Jeffs. [Thanks to Melissa Rogers for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 24, 2008 (boomark / email).