Officials of Colorado City, Arizona have been found violating their position of power by bastardizing the constitution and engaging in widespread discrimination in the region, particularly targeting non-church members in the area.
One judge and jury has already determined that the officials have violated their authority by engaging in a pattern of discrimination against people who were not members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This included denying legal protections to water services, and allegedly using the police to bully and harass non-church members. Now, a federal appeals court has upheld their conclusion, admitting that there was overwhelming evidence to support the allegations against the officials.
If the ruling isn't overturned, it would newly require supervision for government officials and new training for police officers in the region.
The lawsuit dates back several years, involving allegations that both Hildale and Colorado City had essentially allowed the government to function as an arm of the church, that they even used municipal resources to advance their agenda. Previously, the U.S. government sued the towns of Colorado City and Hildale City for allowing FLDS overseers to appoint a city leader and marshals.
It's alleged that law enforcement in the region had essentially helped church leaders avoid the FBI, and they allegedly contributed to destroying evidence, among other wrongdoings.
Government officials allegedly ignored various law violations that were committed by church members and they even provided security equipment to the church's security team. That security team was allegedly referred to as the God Squad.
They also allegedly enforced the law selectively, based on their own preferred religion, which involved at times arresting individuals who were not church members without the legal justification and authority to do so.
A jury eventually concluded that the government officials and law enforcement in this region had violated certain legislation that strictly prohibits government agencies from engaging in these sorts of patterns of discrimination, that ultimately deprive people of their constitutional rights. The government has proven they are willing to violate their authority and Constitutional restrictions, now we need watchers to look over them. Eventually, you can expect that we will need watchers to watch the watchers, and so on. Round and round we go, waiting for government to prove itself trustworthy and capable of limiting its power and policing itself.
Now, they are deciding whether or not to bring this fight on appeal to the Supreme Court.
Pics:
pixabay
