Texas Supreme Court Affirms Appelate Court, Officials Overstepped - New England Patriots Forums

otis p. driftwood · 05-30-2008, 12:46 PM

Quote:

AN ANTONIO (AP) - In a crushing blow to the state's massive seizure of children from a polygamist sect's ranch, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that child welfare officials overstepped their authority and the children should go back to their parents.

The high court affirmed a decision by an appellate court last week, saying Child Protective Services failed to show an immediate danger to the more than 400 children swept up from the Yearning For Zion Ranch nearly two months ago.

"On the record before us, removal of the children was not warranted," the justices said in their ruling issued in Austin.

The high court let stand the appellate court's order that Texas District Judge Barbara Walther return the children from foster care to their parents. It's not clear how soon that may happen, but the appellate court ordered her to do it within a reasonable time period.

The ruling shatters one of the largest child-custody cases in U.S. history. State officials said the removals were necessary to end a cycle of sexual abuse at the ranch in which teenage girls were forced to marry and have sex with older men, but parents denied any abuse and said they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Every child at the ranch in the west Texas town of Eldorado was removed; half were 5 or younger.

From the AP

wistahpatsfan · 05-30-2008, 12:49 PM

I hate Texas....and religious nutjobs (I know, redundant)...but...
They got this one right, though. Extremely dangerous prescedent.

atomdomb · 05-30-2008, 02:00 PM

i agree these people are nutjobs, but what happened to freedom. good ruling by both courts. i hope these people sue the f'ck out of the state of texas. the police state is coming.

***weswelker#83*** · 05-30-2008, 02:04 PM

Big day for muslim and christian polygamists around the World.

otis p. driftwood · 05-30-2008, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weswelker#83

Big day for muslim and christian polygamists around the World.

I think this is the first time I've seen you post something that didn't have a link in it, wes!

Why do you think it's a big day for polygamists? I'd think you'd find it a bigger day for freedom in the face of "The State".

***DarrylS*** · 05-30-2008, 05:12 PM

I suspect there has been a lot of back door haggling, so lawsuits may not be forthcoming.. in many states you have to get legislative approval to sue the state, there are so many culpible.. the child welfare agency, the attorneys who presented the case, the judge et al.. hopefully they are returned with some type of supervision.

otis p. driftwood · 05-31-2008, 07:46 AM

From AP:

Quote:

The Third Court of Appeals last week that the state failed to show that any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and had offered no evidence of sexual or physical abuse against the other children.

Texas officials claimed at one point that there were 31 teenage girls at the ranch who were pregnant or had been pregnant, but later conceded that about half of those mothers, if not more, were adults. One was 27.

Roughly 430 children from the ranch are in foster care after two births, numerous reclassifications of adult women initially held as minors and a handful of agreements allowing parents to keep custody while the Supreme Court considered the case.

But The State would never lie.

***American*** · 05-31-2008, 10:04 AM

Regardless as to whether the kids were
returned to their parents (Which parents
would they be returned to, BTW, seeing
as there is only one father for about
every 50 kids with a lot of different
mothers?) or not, the one thing that can
not be questioned is that polygamy is
a crime, it is against the law.

And if nothing else, those that have
broken this law should be arrested, tried
and convicted if found guilty.

And it should not matter how many
of the girls are under the age of 16,
and pregnant. If there is as few as
one, that too is a violation of law
and the person who identifies him-
self as the one who impregnated
her has also broken a law and should
be duly arrested, and tried.

A law is a law, period. You break it
you face the consequence.

otis p. driftwood · 05-31-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American

Regardless as to whether the kids were
returned to their parents (Which parents
would they be returned to, BTW, seeing
as there is only one father for about
every 50 kids with a lot of different
mothers?) or not, the one thing that can
not be questioned is that polygamy is
a crime, it is against the law.

And if nothing else, those that have
broken this law should be arrested, tried
and convicted if found guilty.

And it should not matter how many
of the girls are under the age of 16,
and pregnant. If there is as few as
one, that too is a violation of law
and the person who identifies him-
self as the one who impregnated
her has also broken a law and should
be duly arrested, and tried.

A law is a law, period. You break it
you face the consequence.

So, NEM, the state over-reaching like that, violating everyone's constitutional rights doesn't bother you at all? Yet you're all over GWB like ticks on a hound...a tad hypocritical, don't you think, Mikey ol' pal?