Vote: Do you agree with the court?

Indeed, there appears to have been laws broken within this compound, however, the officials in charge of this jurisdiction failed to pursue the matter consistent with the law. The children were taken in a matter of hours after the illegal entry and seizure of them. Why it takes several days to return the children is also illegal.

The officials involved in the decision making process from the beginning should be removed from their official positions and fired.

Once the dust settles proper investigations should be completed to determine if any indictment should be processed. It may serve humanity for the entire state of Texas be investigated.

My heart grieves for these children having to return to the mind control of a "religious" sect

I absoluting agree with the courts. I couldn't believe more people were up in arms for this travesty of removing ALL the children. If there is evidence of crime, go after the criminals, don't assume everyone living there is a crook. There certainly wasn't any reason to remove the babies-maybe teenagers but not the little ones

We should be able to find out who is paying the legal fee's for all of the parents in this religious sect - as well as how the families support themselves i.e. do the mothers work to support their children ? Do the father's with multiple wives support all of the mother's of their babies by paying child support ? OR - hhmmm - are they on the welfare system ? If this is accurate - why should the public welfare system have to pay for them to live in "religious freedom"? if I see one more of those women cry for the camera I am going to throw up - please, give us all a break - most of us work and pay for an honest living and if any laws were broken such as sexual abuse or underage marriage - this is the US, and the laws apply to everyone who lives here no matter what your religious beliefs are. I hope if the DNA results show any fact of the allegations - the mothers should also be prosecuted as an accessory. They must be brainwashed if they believe multiple wives brings "glorification in Heaven". Sounds like a glorification of our Federal Welfare System.

There is a very good DVD out called Lifting the veil of polygamy. You can watch it on line go to lhvm.org

I am a bit confused. Is there a reason why this group of people are not living a life style that is illegal in our country? I thought polygamy was illegal in the US.

I am totally confused. They just had a small town in New Hampshire or Vermont on the news where there were 19 kids in the school that were pregnant and none of of you simple souls have a problem with that. On a percentage rate they had a much higher knock up rate. And you people don't care about that. Jack refer to illegal in the U.S.A. and we cant even keep the illegal immigrants out of our towns and cities. I think Robert had a good point Big Business wants these people gone because they aren't consumers and they can't control them. 294155 sounds like he was raised on the welfare system and is upset that a bunch of white people are doing what the rest of the country is doing. Living off welfare, I bet if they were a different race or color he wouldn't have a problem. You can see Toni hasn't been to Las Vegas or any street in her town that has street walkers. And last but not least if you watched the Nancy Grace Show on t.v. you would have heard her said that the appeal court was 3 white guys and her guest then called the Mormons white racists. Some of you may not be old enough to remember when some people where saying that there were some towns in Texas that were all white and they wanted to move into each town a black family on welfare so there wouldn't be any all white towns left. This stupidity sounds like the same people at work saving us from ourselves. Next they will be going after the Amish in Pennsylvania

as a side issue - where did they get the funds to build this huge compound in the middle of nowhere? it's massive, complex, and fitted out to service over a thousand (est.) people, and the "leader" appears to be an intinerant jailbird. Cherchez la funding.

DNA to prove wrong doing? If the Texas supreme court rulled that the taking of these children was illegal (which they did) then the taking of any DNA from any of those kids is illegal too. Just remember this - this all happened because of an annomous tip. The charges against these people have never been substanciated. If I was on a jury where these people were suing the state of Texas, I would give them a hundred trillion dollars. A high enough penalty to make sure government gets it's facts straight before running off half cocked. Each of the officials that ordered this should be sued and booted out of office. The point is that each of us in this country at any time can end up in a like situation because sombody doesn't like you. Give the kids back, and take a step back towards the constitution. You are innocent until proven guilty. Freedom of religion. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, and CONGRESS SHALL PASS NO LAW ABRIDGING THESE FREEDOMS

State and county public officials and employees are not or should not be considered above the law. Arguably, this case appears to involve deliberate and coordinated acts of violations of individual rights. The acts perpetrated upon these people should not be accepted lightly and should not go unpunished. Apparently these state officials, all presumably individual public employees acting in concert, including "experts" knowledgeable of the rules under which they are authorized to operate and make decisions, seized these people despite having legally and factually insufficient grounds to do so. That being the case each should be charged with over 400 counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping under state and federal crime statutes. For every single person involved in carrying out this crime, including the judge, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Isn't that what all ordinary citizens are always told. And what is it with these conditions for release the judge is trying to impose? Obey the higher court already! Release these victims of your Nazi crime immediately!

This is an outrage. I can not believe that the state of Texas is not protecting these children.

Hey William, how many of those high school kids were "knocked up" by their parents or their parents friends?

As always we listen, watch the news... and we point our fingers at the sect... but we don't look at the TX children and family agency. They abuse / above the laws... they are abusing those families and children... And they said that they protect the children.... I don't see any point here... The children crying, the families crying... they separate the family members... instead of helping the families together... Well, we may see one or two persons did a wrong thing... and we justify the whole ranch. And TX children and family agency and the judge abuse the laws, the system... How can they do right thing when they are abusers?

If the TX can take the kids and families away in 1 day... they know how or can do to put them back in 1 day... There are a lot of ways and methods to help in terms of educating / parenting... And again, the system needs money to pay for these judges and employees... parenting class may cost $35.00 to $ or more... I may be wrong!

Just look at around us.... Gay marriage, gay family... and what will be happened if a child live in such family... how many child abusers / molesters... released out of jail and living around your house? How can an abused system trying to teach the abusers? All I can say is that all of those families stand together firmly to fight the children and family system to bring all of your children back in your arms... and obey the laws, respect the laws, follow the laws... and take good care of your children... And take a good look at the differences between the laws and your religion.

Good luck... they are there getting paid to tear down your house.... So, stay together and bring the kids home.... Your kids will be the worst if they are in state home! You guys are in for a long hard fight... Again, good luck !

I continue to read comments asking why they aren't being persecuted for polygamy; the answer is that none of them is guilty of polygamy. To get around the legality issue, they are only "spiritually" married, but not legally married. So, it is illegal to be married to multiple women, but it is legal to sleep with as many as you want (even if you're married). Does this seem a little backwards to anyone else?

I think that these women who are in that sect should be ashamed of themselves letting those men do such disgusting things to their children they should not get them kids back any woman who allows such crap to happen to her child doesn't deserve them children

Having the right to religious freedom does not allow ANYONE to claim ignorance of the laws of the nation. If they so choose to renoune their citizenship and move elsewhere, like Jim Jones let them.
They are a drain on our social welfare system taking monies for childern that are not theirs. I could go on and on, but the whole thought process is warped.

Carolyn Jessop fled from this sect with her children. In her book "Escape", she relates how women were treated as the property of the husband, and in addtion she related how the sect took advantage of public assistance. The sect's leader referred to public assistance as a way to "bleed the Beast". (The "Beast" is the outside world).

I still maintain that when the DNA is in, it will show that many of these children were illegally "purped out" to older men, and that their mothers participated in it. Where are the birth certificates? Do these people obey the law and register all births? DNA will also show where women and children were taken from husbands and "given" to men who curry favor with the "leaders", and will also show the ages of the mothers at conception! THIS IS CHILD ABUSE MASQUERADING AS RELIGION! Ask your women friends and see how many would willingly share their husband with other women! See "Big Love, on HBO for clarfication.(available on DVD). If these women ask for welfare, saying they are single women, and have men living with them, it's welfare fraud! This is not "marriage between one man and one woman". Why aren't conservatives railing against this? It will be interesting to see which children were fathered by Warren Jeffs, and at what age were the mothers impregnated! Stay tuned!

How in the world can we not call this a cult of robot women & dirty old men playing God just to "use" little girls--it is absolutely disgusting!

AKlady---I have wondered the same thing--how was all of it funded?? You can't erect buildings like that because you own a cement company!! They HAVE been collecting govt. aid also--we tax payers have probably been feeding the 450-some kids plus all the adults!!

I cannot BELEIVE most of the comments agreeing the CPS and law enforement was justified in their actions.
There is NO PROOF against even ONE of the families that there was criminal child abuse. The Supreme Court handed down its ruling that the raid and the taking of these peoples children was not in anyway legal or justified.
Most of the comments posted are wild speculation about what MAY HAVE possibly happened at the FLDS religious community.
A picture is worth a thousand words-did you notice all the adult women and children appeared very neatly dressed, clean, trim and healthy? Notice some of the CPS women involved in the capture and removal of the children? Many were overweight, or obese, drunk with their power, and HAVE NOT KEPT THE PROMISE TO ATTENPT TO KEEP THE CHILDREN TOGETHER while in forster "care".
What would be the reaction to the CPS raiding Long Island, New York, and removing all the male children of Jewish decent-because the male babies were not given a chance to reach the age of consent before a painful circumcision was performed on them, by a Rabbi-a religious official with NO MEDICAL TRAINING.
These two examples are analogous, as both involve Religious Beliefs not held by all the secular population.
The FLDS has NOT been shown to expouse pedophilia, or any sexual abuse practices. They are Christians with a custom or belief in having multiple wives. If this is against the law, prosecute or arrest the MEN AND PROSECUTE THEM. The men did in fact VOLUNTEER to leave the community so the children could remain with their children during the CPS investigation.

those children deserve to be with there mothers. and texas should be ashamed of themself for what they have done. which was up and beyond what is legal or moral in our wonderful country. and as for you so called rightious people who obviously dont look in the mirror very often , have no right to judge any one for a way of live they have chosen. it is not my choice to live that way, but i am not god so i dont have a right to pass judgement on them . nor does a bunch of goat ropers from texas. when the dust settles on this situation i hope and pray the state of texas gets suid to the liments of the law. if there were any laws broken by a couple of men , prosecute them and leave the rest of them alone. my heart goes out to the children and there mothers. god bless them and please watch over them dear lord.

I think the judge should be removed and report to the state supreme court for her latest action. She is contempt of the court and she need to follow the law of the state supreme court. why they (State CPS AND the Judge)should be punished for broken the law themselves

Those of you who believe that this mass abduction was justified must take a step back and ask yourself this question: "If I, as a United States citizen, am responsible for observing the rule of law, is it not then the responsibility for my government also to work within the rule of law, without exception?" There are no gray areas, it is a yes or no question. If you haven't read your Constitution recently, here are a few tidbits from mine, which lay out very explicitly that the Texas CPS was wrong, and this Judge's ignorance of the law is a disgrace:

Amendment I: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

Polygamy was legal for a while in this country, and is a part of the FLDS system of beliefs, as well as the original Mormon beliefs. You may have moral objections about this, but Amendment I is very clear, and your moral objections are simply based on a different set of beliefs, and to ban polygamy is to very clearly make a law "prohibiting the free exercise..." of religion. Polygamy hurts no one, and as long as the women have the right to leave, the only objections anyone could logically have would be religious-based. Those kinds of objections have no place in the rule of law: they promote religious Tyranny.

Amendment IV: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

The FLDS compound was raided, and every child abducted, based on one man's reputation (Warren Jeffs), a violation of Amendment I of the Constitution of these United States of America, and one phone call from someone who claimed to be a minor resident at the FLDS compound, who has never been identified or even found. The actions of the Texas CPS were clearly illegal here, unless you prefer to leave government unaccountable to the very rule of law that gives it power, and we citizens our freedom.

Amendment V: "...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;..."

Mass court hearings are not "due process of law." These proceedings were nothing but mass generalizations and sweeping condemnations without much regard to individual circumstances. Should all Catholic priests be rounded up and their churches locked down because a few of them molested children? Of course not! Why are these FLDS people held to a different standard? Is it because their religion is newer than Catholicism, is much smaller, and has contrasting views with mainstream Christianity? I think that plays a dangerous role in much of our politics and some of our social policies, but if you seriously want to talk about child abuse then lets talk about government agents swooping in and tearing up peaceful families and sending their children to distant places without warning, and for an indefinite period of time, without cause in most cases. That is traumatic for children (not to mention their parents), and if you think otherwise, you'd be wrong.

Amendment VIII: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

I think state-perpetrated kidnapping (the illegal abduction of children, whether committed by an individual or government officer) with a class-action verdict against every parent without evidence could be considered "cruel and unusual." It depends on whether you respect human freedom, or not.

So, should these government officials/officers be held accountable for their combined thousands of rights abuses, or should we pat them on the back and relax hoping that something like this doesn't happen to one of OUR churches someday?