Judge rules polygamous towns discriminate, but won’t break up police force

2015 file photo of a Hildale/Colorado City Marshal's vehicle with old logo that is no longer used by the department, Hildale City Hall, Hildale, Utah, Sept. 19, 2015 | File photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge has issued a major ruling in a discrimination case involving the polygamous border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.

In an order issued late Tuesday and obtained by FOX 13, U.S. District Court Judge Russel Holland ruled the town governments and their police force did discriminate against non-members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church. However, he declined to enforce severe sanctions against them, including dismantling the police force.

“Those findings reflect that FLDS Church leadership insisted upon city officials and CCMO officers advancing church and church members’ interests in preference to the needs and interests of non-FLDS Church residents …” the judge wrote.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit leveled in Phoenix by the U.S. Department of Justice against Hildale and Colorado City, accusing the towns of discriminating against non-FLDS members in housing and services. The police force was accused of acting as de facto agents for imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.

Read the full story here:  Fox13Now.com.

Written by BEN WINSLOW, Fox13Now.com

Copyright © 2017, KSTU. A Tribune broadcasting station

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6 Comments

  • comments April 18, 2017 at 6:49 pm

    The mainstream LDS mormon power structure of this state shares a kind of ‘brotherly bond’ with the polygamous f-LDS mormons. Wonder if this judge is an LDS member. It’s also the reason it took Texas to lock up the f-LDS prophet brother Jeffs (the convicted Utah-based child rapist). The ‘brotherly bond’ of mormon corruption in this state runs deep among LDS and f-LDS. Just ask Orrin Hatch; he was once up there in hildale in the f-LDS chapel singing hymns and playing piano for them. Many LDS power players are closeted secret plygs themselves. Very tangled web of connections going on. A surprising deep bond between LDS and f-LDS organizations.

  • Real Life April 18, 2017 at 7:27 pm

    Hmmmmm. Did nothing to break up the corrupt pedophile police department. Wonder if this judge is a good mormon? He probably thinks that Warren Jeffs is “a good guy”.

  • Robert April 18, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    Not just the so called Polygamous border towns, but right here in main stream Washington county too. Try living in either Toquerville or La Verkin as a non member of the church.

  • Proud Rebel April 18, 2017 at 8:31 pm

    Sheesh! Little old Utah makes Chicago corruption look like rank amateurs.

  • utahdiablo April 18, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    Contact US AG Jeff Sessions, together we can stop this FLDS BS

  • ladybugavenger April 19, 2017 at 9:36 am

    This whole polygamous cult is just evil. I just watched a show about warden jeffs, one of his brothers and nephews were speaking about the rapes done. He raped his nephew at 6 years old, had sex with his 6 yr old nephew in the name of God. The other boy he raped shot himself in the head cuz he couldn’t live with warren jeffs raping him. Too much pain and suffering. It’s very very sad. And makes most of us angry. And yet, jeffs is their prophet and he leads the people from prison.

    What is society going to do? Apparently nothing.

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