Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs -> Religion Clause

Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

FLDS Church Is Challenging Search Warrant; Wants Searh of Temple Banned

By Howard Friedman

Attorneys for the FLDS Church have filed papers challenging the continuing execution of the search warrant at the group's YFZ Ranch near San Angelo, Texas. Some 401 children have been removed from the ranch and placed into temporary state custody. (See prior posting.) Today's Deseret Morning News reports that 12 attorney have been hired to represent the Church in a hearing scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The Church argues that the search is illegal because authorities had insufficient "probable cause" for the search warrant that was issued. Attorneys particularly argue that irreparable injury would be caused by any search of the FLDS temple at the ranch. They contend: "The temple is one of the holiest sites in the community to the religious denomination living there. Members ... consider it a desecration of one of their holiest sites for a non-member to enter the temple. Similar to the concept of unringing a bell, how would law enforcement propose to undesecrate the temple in a community should the search later be found to have been illegal?"

Full post as published by Religion Clause on April 08, 2008 (boomark / email).