A Utah federal district court judge yesterday said he would not bar a Friday hearing in a Utah state court on whether to approve sale of Berry Knoll Farm by the FLDS United Effort Plan Trust. (See prior posting.) However Judge Dee Benson asked FLDS attorneys to report on Friday's hearing. The court will then decide-- before the sale closes--whether to hold a further hearing on FLDS claims that its free exercise rights are being violated by Utah's reformation of the terms of the UEP Trust and its takeover of administration of trust property. Yesterday, the Salt Lake Tribune and KSL-TV News reported on the federal judge's ruling.
UPDATE: On Friday, Utah state court Judge Denise Lindberg postponed the scheduled hearing on the sale of Berry Knoll Farm so that the parties could work out "a global resolution" of pending litigation and a plan for its future management. The postponement came at the request of the Utah Attorney General's office and after a meeting in chambers between the judge and attorneys for both parties. Saturday's Salt Lake Tribune reported that 2500 members of the FLDS Church showed up at Friday's hearing to show their disapproval of the proposed land sale.
