Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Upset with the "revolving door of noncooperation" in legal matters, a judge suggested Utah and Arizona should step in and shake up control of two border towns dominated by members of a polygamous sect.
Third District Judge Denise Lindberg made the comments after hearing that a court-appointed accountant still is struggling to manage a trust that holds assets of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS.
Lindberg asked if attorneys general in Utah and Arizona might be able to wield a "bigger force" over Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.
"We're going to have to deal with it in a more systematic fashion, and the attorneys general are going to have to be involved," she said Monday.
The judge also suggested state lawmakers may need to get involved to "ensure that nobody is above the law."
The two towns are home to about 10,000 members of the FLDS, a sect led by Warren Jeffs. He is in jail awaiting trial on charges of rape as an accomplice in the ceremonial marriage of a teenage girl to an older cousin.
The Utah court has managed the sect's property trust, which holds virtually all land, homes and buildings in the twin towns, since May 2005.
But most residents have ignored requests for help from court-appointed fiduciary Bruce Wisan, who claims the order comes from Jeffs. Wisan's duties include collecting and paying property taxes in Utah and Arizona.
"I don't know what to say about it," Hildale Mayor David Zitting said when told about the judge's comments.
Utah Assistant Attorney General Tim Bodily said his office had looked at challenging Hildale's city status but decided not to take action.
Dissolution of Hildale would require a petition from 25 percent of the city's voters followed by an election. Another option would have counties providing services.
The Attorney General's Office also has looked at removing city officers for malfeasance. Separately, police officers serving both towns could lose certification from an oversight agency.
"It is clear (the judge) wants us to look closer at the issues, and we'll do that," Bodily said.
"The judge is concerned, and rightfully so, that public officials comply with the law and fulfill their obligations. We'll certainly do what we can to ensure that they do," he said.
------ Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
