Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Affidavit In FLDS Child-Custody Proceedings Released By Court

Media stories yesterday and today (New York Times, Fort Worth Star-Telegram ) gave wide coverage to an affidavit (full text) filed in Sleicher County, Texas District Court in which an investigative supervisor for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services describes the phone calls by a 16-year old inside the FLDS ranch near San Angelo, Texas that led to the much publicized raid on the compound. While the affidavit describes the facts that were presented last week to the court to obtain a search warrant, this affidavit is the one filed in order to obtain a court order for temporary custody of the 416 children who have been removed from the site, pending an April 17 hearing. (San Angelo Standard-Times). The affidavit, dated April 6, also briefly describes interviews with children by authorities after they entered the YFZ Ranch. (See prior related posting.)

UPDATE: Today's Salt Lake Tribune reports that officials are asking the court to order genetic testing to proveparentage of the 419 children from YFZ Ranch now in state custody. They want parents to pay retroactive support for the children.