BishopAccountability.org
	AG Testifies before U.S. Senate By Aaron Royster Kingman Daily Miner July 25, 2008 http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=16679 Attorney General Terry Goddard gave testimony at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on polygamy related crimes. In Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Goddard discussed his office's work to combat abuse and fraud in the communities of Colorado City and Hildale, Utah, during the past five years. From the outset, Goddard said he wanted to make sure the committee understood he wasn't talking about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Second, the work being done by my office in Colorado City is not about religion, culture or lifestyle," Goddard said. "Rather, it is about protecting women and children from domestic abuse and sexual violence; combating fraud and public corruption; enforcing civil rights laws; upholding peace officer standards; and ensuring that the rule of law is applied equally and comprehensively throughout our land." At the hearing "Crimes Associated with Polygamy: The Need for a Coordinated State and Federal Response," Goddard explained the need for increased federal involvement in the investigation and prosecution of polygamy-related crimes. He said the communities controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints come with a unique set of challenges for law enforcement. With Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Goddard began in 2003 to focus on investigations and prosecutions of specific instances of child abuse, domestic violence and fraud. Goddard said the child abuses have ranged from sexual abuse in plural marriages to expelled teenage boys from the community to reduce competition for plural wives. Under Arizona laws, the complaints cannot be prosecuted unless a victim is willing to testify. "Most women and children in Colorado City were, and in large part still are, afraid to testify against their abusers," Goddard said. Even with the hurdle, Goddard spoke of what he thought was their most significant accomplishments: the indictment of Warren Jeffs. Jeffs, the leader of the FLDS Church, was indicted on child abuse charges in both Arizona and Utah. "We are working to restore the rule of law in Colorado City and Hildale and to aid the victims who have suffered abuse," Goddard said. "What has taken a century to build cannot be changed overnight. Step by step, we are making important changes, but a great deal of work still lies ahead."
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