Church attorney charges abuses by law enforcement
By JENNIFER DOBNER Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An attorney for a polygamous sect is accusing Utah police and prosecutors of abusing their authority and slandering sect members by passing on bad information about them to Texas authorities.

In a letter sent Tuesday, attorney Rod Parker told Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith and Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap that they have been manipulated by unreliable groups that want to destroy the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Dossiers on 16 church members were provided to Texas, which raided an FLDS ranch there in April after a child abuse allegation. The information was collected by Washington County during the 2007 criminal trial of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.

Washington County's dossiers pegged the 16 as threatening religious fanatics who may be willing to die for their cause.

"Time after time, the information those groups have provided you has turned out to be false," Parker wrote. "It is time that you step back from the sources and objectively evaluate the information they are providing you."

Parker called the spreading of erroneous information an irresponsible use of the justice system which "jeopardizes the trust of county officials, state officials, law enforcement and government officials of neighboring states and private citizens."

The letter was written on behalf of church elder Willie Jessop and other profiled church members, Parker said.

"These are not abstract claims. Your actions harm real people," Parker wrote in closing the letter. "We believe it is incumbent upon you to immediately correct these abuses."

Members of the FLDS want state and local authorities to treat them with the same fairness and respect give to other citizens, Parker said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

"I think what you're seeing here is the FLDS finally saying enough is enough," he said. "They feel this campaign against them has been vindictive and unfair."

Insular and private, FLDS church members historically have lived in twin communities on the Utah-Arizona border. About 6,000 strong, the faith practices polygamy in arranged marriages that have sometimes involved underage girls and triggered criminal charges.

Last year, a Washington County jury convicted the 52- year-old Jeffs of rape as an accomplice for his role in the 2001 union between a 14-yearold follower and her 19-yearold cousin.

Church dissidents have played an active role in helping prosecutors find victims willing to bring charges. They've also helped shape the information and ideas authorities have about FLDS members.

The church now wants a chance to speak for itself, Parker said, although a meeting last week between Jessop and staff from the attorney general's office was a disappointment because Shurtleff was absent, he said.

Parker said the letter is not a precursor to a lawsuit.