TX is unable to link more than 100 FLDS (polygamist) kids with mothers.

[pnwmom]

Why would the mothers not be identifying their own children? Were dozens of children at the ranch without any biological parent?

No wonder the state decided to do DNA tests on all the children, and anyone claiming to be a parent.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIdMpRHjN4hpNKBhfYyAsR4DDo4QD90O6F0G0

First, these families are comprised of at least 168 mothers and 69 fathers, reflecting the polygamy in the renegade Mormon sect.

And even as the hearings begin, the state hasn't matched more than 100 of the children with mothers. The first of court-ordered DNA test results won't be back for two to four weeks.

[southern_belle]

1. Wow! Just wow.

THAT is strange!!! :shrug:

[Yael]

2. That is because they are trying to link children with adults

as opposed to within their own ranks.

:(

[hendo]

3. beat me to it.

I would be surprised if a lot of these kids didn't realize that thier sister was really thier mom.

[pnwmom]

5. That would certainly explain it. n/t

[pnwmom]

6. Geez. Why didn't I think of that?

I remember thinking of that weeks ago, but then it slipped my mind.

This whole situation is so sad . . .

[jazzjunkysue]

4. So, did the mothers escape or did they forget which kids were their own?

This is the wierdest thing, ever.
I can't believe we allow this in america.

[Warpy]

9. Some of the kids were taken away from mothers at other

FLDS compounds. Some of them might never be linked to any of the people at the Texas compound.

The LAST thing these people can do is howl about the sanctity of the family. They allowed families to be pulled apart when the group moved to Texas. One man in Arizona is already suing to get his children back from Texas, although one wonders why he waited until the place was raided to try.

This is a horrible situation for everybody. There is no way to make it come out all nice and tidy beyond jailing the men who institutionalized the rape of underage girls in sham marriages and then allowing the mothers and their children confirmed by DNA testing to decide what they want to do.

[uppityperson]

15. Indeed, probably 1 of the reasons is kids from other places, wondering about Canadian compound kids.

I wonder how many, or if any, of the kids were transfered down from Canada. I read something a while back that there was a young person from Canada there, not sure about kids.

And yes, this was a case of multiple moms since the kids were raised by multiple moms and perhaps the genetic/biologic ones don't know who were moms/kids.

Are they doing DNA testing of the men yet? Even doing that, jailing the men who were involved with stat rape, still it will not come out nice and tidy.

It's a big confusing mess and will take some time to figure it all out.

[girl gone mad]

18. It's against the law.

Modern law gives children a right to a relationship with their legal parent(s), biological or adopted. From appearances, that isn't happening here.

[rainbow4321]

7. Ran across this tidbit---wonder if it will cause issues down the line w/ evidence

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/05/exclusive_texas_rangers_interv.php


According to Laura Shockley, a Dallas attorney who is representing six minors in the case, during the next several days Child Protective Services will deem that as many as 31 members of the FLDS sect they had previously declared as minors are, in fact, adults. In the meantime, CPS, working in conjunction with the Texas Rangers, is rounding up as many of the disputed minors as possible and interviewing them without the presence, or consent, of their attorneys, Shockley tells Unfair Park.

“What they’re doing, before they’re declared to be adults, is forcing them to participate in interviews, which they wouldn’t be able to do if these people are deemed adults,” Shockley says. “If they are adults, and a police officer calls and says I want to speak to you, they don’t have to speak without having an attorney present.


“Well, they know that CPS is already starting to declare that some of these minors are actually adults, so they’re just going to continue to treat them like children for the next couple of days so they can conduct their interviews without an attorney being present.”


<snip>

“The Texas Rangers are interviewing these girls in pursuit of a criminal investigation," Shockley says. "Some of them are married to the suspects, there’s spousal privilege that they may not be aware of. They’re asking them who the father of their children is, who they are married to, how many sister wives they have, when they got married, the age of first child, all to build a criminal case, and they’re doing it without attorneys present.

[Warpy]

10. Since so few of those marriages are legal in any sense of the word

I sincerely doubt there will be problems with spousal privilege. The crux of this whole thing is that these girls were too young to be married, period, and illegal "spiritual" marriages within the cult are simply not going to be recognized by the state.

This gang of pervs is flailing around, trying to get something going so that they'll be able to go back to factory farming young tail for old men.

[rainbow4321]

13. I'm just sayin'

Let's hope TX doesn't screw this up...I know the 2nd, 3rd, 4th marriages/spouses wouldn't be legit but if even ONE child gets sent back to that compound to the hands of ONE abusive/guilty adult because of the state slip ups, it is one too many.

Hoping that officials are dotting i's and crossing t's in their investigation/evidence gathering/interviewing.

[pnwmom]

17. You need to separate out the two issues.

The child custody cases are civil cases -- the same rules of evidence do not apply.

But you are right that in criminal cases, some of the evidence that was used in the custody cases might not be available to the prosecution.

I think Texas is putting a priority on the child safety and custody issues, rather than the prosecution issues.

[pnwmom]

11. I'm not sure how credible that attorney is.

For one thing, she mentions "spousal privilege" -- which wouldn't apply, since none of these young women are in legal marriages.

She also claims to be representing minors, but is vague about whether her clients are among the young women she claims are about to be deemed adults.

These girls/women are being interviewed as witnesses or as victims -- not as potential criminals. Why would an attorney need to be present? Is there a legal requirement for that?

[pnwmom]

12. Here is another point of view on that issue.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/flds_children_interviewed_by_police_without_legal_counsel_attorney_says/

A lawyer for several of the approximately 465 children removed from a Texas ranch run by a religious sect that reportedly advocates polygamy says her clients and others throughout the state are being interviewed by authorities without their attorneys present.

While that apparently may be legal, as far as child welfare workers are concerned, it may be inappropriate in this case because of the close working relationship of child welfare workers and state police, a law professor at St. Mary's University tells the Houston Chronicle.

Laura Shockley, who represents three young women from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints whose ages are disputed, says at least one of her clients was taken by child welfare workers to talk to state police even after she said she wanted her lawyer present.

''My client told the CPS worker that she did not want to talk to her without an attorney,'' Shockley says. ''She was told that she wasn't entitled to an attorney because it was a civil matter.''

SNIP

[elizfeelinggreat]

8. horrible!

Unbelievable, incredible, etc., etc., etc.

Hopefully they will not return those children (to who?) until some questions are answered and the truth is known. The Greedy Old Perverts need some justice.

[musette_sf]

14. seems like things are going

pretty much as i thought they would:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3296917&mesg_id=3297278

no surprises here, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

[uppityperson]

16. Makes me wonder if any were transfers from Canada and what that will mean.

What a mess.