FLDS Children to Go Home, Court Rules

The Texas Supreme Court today overruled a lower court judgment concerning the children removed from a compound inhabited by a polygamous sect. In supporting an appellate court decision made last week, the Texas judiciary ordered the families to be reunited.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - The Texas Supreme Court today ruled that the children taken from the parents at the compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints must be returned. The 440 minors were removed by child welfare authorities who, according to the court, overstepped their authority.

The ruling upheld a decision by an appellate court last week concerning the actions of the Texas Child Protective Service in removing the children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch two months ago. Since that time most of the children had been placed with foster families. The appellate court had ordered their return within a reasonable time.

Over the past 60 days a large contingent of lawyers, representing individual FLDS families and the ACLU have all weighed in on the matter, which began with a phone, call from an unidentified caller. CPS authorities raided the compound after a young girl called local authorities claiming she had been abused.

The FLDS, an extremist group with roots in the Church of Latter Day Saints also called Mormons, hold to the practice of polygamy and other extremist views. While the group has mostly remained separate from society, their leadership made headlines over the past few years concerning issues of sexual abuse with minors.

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