Judge Orders Return of Polygamist Group's Children

[2Revolutions]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4978682

Judge Orders Return of Polygamist Group's Children
Texas judge orders return of children from polygamist sect to custody of their parents
The Associated Press
SAN ANGELO, Texas



A Texas district judge has ordered the return of more than 400 children taken from a polygamist group's ranch.

Parents are allowed to begin picking up their children at 10 a.m. Monday.

The parents are not allowed to leave Texas without court permission and must participate in parenting classes. They were also ordered not to interfere with any ongoing child abuse investigation and to allow the children to undergo psychiatric or medical exams if required.

The order comes just days after the Texas Supreme Court said Texas Child Protective Services overreached in seizing custody of the children from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ranch in West Texas.

[randge]

I take it that these folks have to agree to these restrictions in order to get their kids.

If they refused, however, that might put this prison planet jurist in quite a pickle,since she has already ruled that the State was amiss in taking the children in the first place.

Of course, there would have to be near unanimity among the parents to do so, and they'd have to forgo immediate reunion with their children.

[Lee]

I think the whole State of Texas is screwy! First the Judge takes nearly 500 children from their parents in a mass raid--kidnapping is what I call it. Then the FLDS fight back through their attorney's. They win the court case. But CPS takes it to the Supreme Court of Texas who agrees, this Judge messed up--she doesn't know the law nor did she do the right thing in this case.

So what does the Supreme Court of Texas say? Return the children, but you MUST do what the first Judge says in order to get your kids back. Huh?  The Supreme Court basically says the first Judge has a screw loose for doing what she did, then they throw it all back iin her lap and give her the freedom to DO WHATEVER SHE WANTS.  So she "sits on it" for five days--making these mothers WAIT even longer for their children. HOW DARE SHE DO SUCH A THING--she should be VOTED out of power and kicked out of the State. Perhaps she would like a job with Bush and his troupe.

Of course those parents have to sign away their rights, in fact, they cannot go within 60 miles of the Texas border without getting into trouble with CPS. What a bunch of crock! What is this? Germany during WW2?  CPS has no right to their children in the FIRST PLACE.

I agree with you randge--they should band together and REFUSE to sign anything CPS has to offer. This is just criminal for Texas to do this. The supreme court, CPS and all of them are kooks! They should all be FIRED on the spot!!  If they have been VOTED into office--for pity sakes, VOTE THEM OUT!

Remind me NEVER to visit that State in the future. Look at their record from what happened in WACO....Texas CPS is a bunch of idiots who think they can tell their citizens what to do. Even to telling the FLDS now that they cannot LEAVE THE STATE. 

You watch the news--the attorney's and FLDS might have their kids back, but they will be in court this week and probably the next month fighting this woman Judge (forgot her name) who has taken away their constitutional rights.

[2Revolutions]

I guess the headline should read the Judge Allows the Families to foster their children until the state can find a justifiable reason to kidnap them again. 

[randge]

You wonder what ever became of this woman - the one that made the "prank call" that started all of this rolling.

The warrant was sealed . . .

Was the FLDS Search Instigated by a Prank Call? (Updated: Apparently It Was)
Filed under: Civil Liberties, Law — DRJ @ 12:22 pm
[Guest post by DRJ]

This post asks the question but we don’t know the answer … yet. However, thanks to a comment from Jerri Lynn Ward, we do know the Texas Rangers were in Colorado Springs yesterday as local authorities arrested Rozita Swinton for false reporting to authorities in connection with a February 2008 Colorado incident:

“Police in Colorado Springs have arrested a woman for investigation of making a false report to authorities that may be connected to the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s raid on the YFZ Ranch in Texas.

The woman allegedly has a history of making calls while pretending to be a young girl.

Rozita Swinton, 33, was arrested on a warrant charging her with false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor, the Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed in a brief statement issued late Thursday. Swinton was arrested at her home on Wednesday in connection with an incident that occurred in Colorado Springs in February, police said.”

The warrant has been sealed so it’s unclear if there is any connection between Swinton and the Texas case, other than the similarity of the calls and the presence of the Texas Rangers.

If this call does turn out to be a prank, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that assistant devil’s advocate has said this from the start. However, I still don’t think it matters - absent evidence the call was a prank, the authorities have to investigate calls reporting family violence. (I wish we had a family law lawyer who could straighten this out but all the ones I know are in San Angelo.)

In an odd coincidence, a person named Rozita E. Swinton of Colorado Springs is listed on the El Paso County Democratic Party website as an Obama delegate. I don’t know if this is the same person but it’s an unusual name.

UPDATE: According to the Eldorado Success, the Texas Rangers have released new details about the initial phone call. It sounds like Swinton is “Sarah” because the search of Swinton’s home yielded evidence linking her to the calls.

http://patterico.com/category/civil-liberties/page/2/

. . . and she was bonded out and walked.

Police in Colorado Springs have arrested a woman for investigation of making a false report to authorities that may be connected to the Fundamentalist LDS Church's raid on the YFZ Ranch in Texas.

The woman allegedly has a history of making calls while pretending to be a young girl.
   
Rozita Swinton, 33, was arrested on a warrant charging her with false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor, the Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed in a brief statement issued late Thursday. Swinton was arrested at her home on Wednesday in connection with an incident that occurred in Colorado Springs in February, police said.

"The Texas Rangers were in Colorado Springs (Wednesday) as part of their investigation involving the compound in Texas. They left and have not filed any charges on Rozita Swinton as of this time," Colorado Springs police said.

Colorado Springs police refused to release any other details, saying that the affidavit for the arrest warrant is sealed.

The El Paso County Jail said Swinton posted $20,000 bail and was released.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695271689,00.html

[larsonstdoc]

   This is good news.  We hope they haven't been harmed!