If you want some good information and background information of YFZ in Eldorado, Texas, I encourage you to read all the articles and view the videos and photos here:

In Texas, CPS investigates child abuse with the police, DPS and sheriff's departments providing back-up as needed. They do not enter into these situations without being sure of their facts. For one thing they do not want to upset or confuse children any more than necessary and they do not want to falsely accuse anyone of abusing a child without sufficient evidence of that crime being committed. The fact that they had been investigating this group for 4 years tells me that there was more than suspicion involved here. There is an article on that website that explains the legal aspects of what happened in Eldorado.

I know this lawyer, I know the CPS worker who has been testifying, and I know and have great respect for Judge Barbara Walthers.

The Thursday hearing has been held and DNA tests have been ordered by the judge to sort out which child belongs to which parents. This is a mess. These children have already been damaged by their parents. No bonding with the mother or the surrogate as a starter. This was not your usual run of the mill Mormon community with the emphasis on the children and the family. This was a "baby mill".

We need to be prayerful for these children, these "mothers", the attorneys who represent them, the social workers who are trying to make the best of a really bad situation, the judges hearing the cases and the therapists who will be working with these children and their young mothers. They need the wisdom of Solomon to sort this all out.

Here is the letter I promised from the attorney in San Angelo, Texas.

It became known that it was owned by a break away sect of the Mormon church which practiced polygamy (the leader of this group is Warren Jeffs, who is serving time in a federal pen for arranging a marriage with a 14 year old girl).

They even began to get into the good graces of the citizens of Eldorado and came into town once a week to patronize the local merchants with cash (no charge accounts or credit cards).

Then a week ago one of the local social service organizations received a telephone call from a young girl at the compound alleging she had been forced to marry a 50 year old man,

In addition to the Temple, there are many large dormitory styled homes around the complex (this will make a nice hunting retreat when it is all over). When the agents would go into a house, they might find 20 children which they would take into custody. When they would come back several hours later, the house would again be filled with children.

Apparently the houses were all connected by tunnels and like prairie dogs they would move from house to house via the tunnels to escape child protective services.

They first began moving the children to the Baptist church in Eldorado, but it was quickly filled. So they began moving them to San Angelo. The city emergency management department was activated (usually their only responsibility is to set off the tornado siren alert).

The number grew to 100, then 200, then 300 and to just over 400. In addition to the 400 something children, there are about 150 mothers. Currently they are housing them at Fort Concho and at the fair grounds. The San Angelo city staff went into crisis mode, arranging not only bedding, clothes, but food and other services.

I had to go to Fort Concho to visit with DPS regarding the possible closing of a city facility next to the fort. I was very impressed with the efficiency of the control room like at NASA during a moon launch. They had 20 or 30 computers, each manned by a DPS agent, as they kept track of each of their wards.

and a hearing within 14 days. Under state law only lawyers who are certified in child protective cases can represent a child in this type of proceeding. Some of the local attorneys have already been hired by the Mormons, thus reducing the pool of available lawyers.

Many local lawyers have volunteered to represent the children.The state bar scheduled a special seminar last Friday so that local attorneys (like myself) can become certified to represent these children. The state bar also brought in an attorney from Utah to educate us on the culture of this sect.

This sect of Mormons is really just producing babies so older men can have sex with young girls. When a child is born, usually they take it away from the mother and have a surrogate mother raise the child. Thus children really do not know their biologically father or mother.

This is a very major problem for Child Protective Services as they are having a difficult time identifying children and the names of their parents.

When the boys become 13, they move them to the dairy barn where they are worked from sun up to sun down; and more importantly they are away from the girls.

Beginning today the local courts must appoint over 400 certified attorneys to represent the over 400 children. There is a mandatory hearing scheduled for this coming Thursday at

10:00 pm. After 400 orders making the appointments are signed today, the court must get notice to each of those attorneys, who should make an attempt to visit with their client before the Thursday hearing.

Additionally, when this operation began, the DPS and Texas Child Protective Services sent in hundreds of persons to assist, booking up all the available motel rooms in town. Now there is no room in the inn for hundreds of lawyers who are to descend on San Angelo for the Thursday hearing. The churches in town circulated lists yesterday asking people to volunteer bedrooms in their homes to house the attorneys.

At the hearing, I assume each child will appear, together with the lawyer, the guardian ad litem appointed for each child and the social worker.

The issues continue to grow. The hearing Thursday will be a collective hearing for all the cases. But within the next 60 days, each of the children will be entitled to a separate,

individual hearing. That means not only bringing back the attorney who represents that child, but a judge and court reporter to hear that particular case. 400 separate trials within the next 60 days.

Lastly, I do not have a good feel for what the final solution will be. Child Protective Services is NOT seeking to terminate parental rights. That means, when all is said and done, I assume we will provide counseling to the mothers and then send them back.