Posted by Howard Richman on June 23 2008 at 10:20:55:
The failed attempt to prosecute a TX polygamist sect for child abuse has left law enforcement officials looking for another way to regulate the sects. Here is a selection from a commentary about it by Terry Goddard:
Last week I took part in an unprecedented meeting of more than 50 local, state and federal law enforcement officials in Las Vegas to discuss polygamy-related crimes and new, cooperative steps to address them.HowardThe day-long meeting received little media attention because the sensitive information being shared required closed doors. But it would be hard to overstate the meeting´s importance in advancing our efforts to strengthen the rule of law in the communities of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah....
The meeting also addressed our shared concern that children in the FLDS communities may not be receiving adequate education. As many as 1,000 children in Colorado City/Hildale have been removed from public and private schools, but only a few have been registered for home-schooling. I have asked Tom Horne, Arizona´s superintendent of public instruction, to determine the status of these children and what actions the state can take if they are not enrolled in school as required by state law....