Posted on 10/03/2009 12:11:47 AM PDT by Pebcak
SAN ANGELO, Texas — A Texas judge ruled Friday that prosecutors could use thousands of documents seized during a weeklong raid of a polygamist sect's West Texas ranch in upcoming criminal trials
snip- Texas District Judge Barbara Walther heard four days of testimony on the issue in May but didn't issue a ruling until Friday.
snip- first sect man to face trial, Raymond Jessop.
snip- The 38-year-old pleaded not guilty to sexual assault of a child during a pre-trial hearing on Friday.
snip- Prosecutors accuse him of sexually assaulting a teen who was allegedly one of nine wives. In 2004, the then-16-year-old girl was in child labor for three days but was not taken to the hospital because of fears about possible criminal prosecution, according to Jeffs' writings.
snip- Raymond Jessop also has been indicted on a bigamy charge, but prosecutors decided to pursue that charge separately.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Judge Walther's ruling can be read at:
http://texasflds.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/order-denying-motion-to-suppress-10-2-09/
Should be some interesting threads during this trial.
Ping the Polygamy list - if you please.
Boy Howdy.
Too lazy to look it up, but didn’t Walther issue a pro-prosecution ruling early on in the case that got overruled real quick?
I expect the tank pics to be shown this time, lol.
They should all swing at the end of a rope.
Are you referring to the Texas 3COA ruling to return the children, and the subsequent SCOT ruling not to overturn the 3COA?
That dealt with CPS/DCFS not the prosecution, as at that time no one had been indicted.
I guess with all the evidence coming in we’ll see whether returning the children was a sound decision or not. I’m guessing not.
I take your point but it was still a government-favoring decision that was overruled on appeal.
No kidding.
Few if any of her subsequent rulings have been overturned, however. Judging from what’s being said on a blog elsewhere that’s chock full of attorneys, I doubt this one will be overturned.
Indeed. I’m hoping to avoid the food fights, but I do look forward to this trial.
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