Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Utah Judge Issues Opinion On FLDS Trust
Yesterday's Deseret Morning News reports that Utah Third District Judge Denise Lindberg issued a 30-page ruling Wednesday that essentially eliminates any religious influence over the assets of a trust that emerged from the FLDS church, a secretive polygamous sect. The judge's decision lays the groundwork for the trust to operate independently. The decision provided that new trustees will not be subject to any particular religious authority; that if the trust is ever terminated, its assets will not go to the FLDS Church but will be used for the benefit of people who contributed the property; and that any reformation of the trust should be done in such a way that trust assets are not used for illegal purposes such as polygamy. Also in her decision, Lindberg appointed a board of advisers to help Bruce Wissan, the current count-appointed special fiduciary who is temporarily managing the trust. (See prior related posting.)