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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Rozita Swinton’s Bad Call

Police say her deception set off the FLDS raid. Prank or personality disorder?

By Arian Campo-Flores and Catharine Skipp | NEWSWEEK
Published Jul 26, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Aug 4, 2008

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  • Posted By: DavidFriedman @ 08/26/2008 6:22:04 PM

    Comment: Essentially this story appeared in both the Utah press and the London Times about two weeks after the fake call occurred. Despite that, major U.S. media continued to treat the question of whether the call was genuine as an open one. Similarly, the media accepted the claim that out of 53 girls 14-17, 31 were pregnant or mothers, without asking how authorities that were refusing to accept birth certificates as evidence could know how old the girls were. We now know that one of them was 26, and the 31 turn out to be at most five. The behavior of the media was almost as bad as that of the authorities.

  • Posted By: Thankyou-for-failing-USA @ 08/02/2008 12:52:06 AM

    Comment: Don't worry, it's ok.........Sen. Nobama says there is No Crime.

    • Posted By: observer101 @ 08/02/2008 21:05:43

      Comment: I feel better now.

  • Posted By: observer101 @ 07/31/2008 6:04:42 PM

    Comment: I have commented on this story when it first aired on t.v. as the state was taking these ppl into custody, that it was wrong...The Sheriffs deputies, CPS workers all standing around smug and authoritive..They were just dying to get into this compound for any reason to break it up...And for what? Nothing!..500 ppl separated from eachother because of the arrogance of others...Let those same "authorities" stand in front of the cameras now...Chances are they wont even open their door for an interview...Hopefully the FLDS members file a class action suit that will put the state in bankruptcy. Cause the "judge" to resign and totally revamp the CPS system...The state should have looked into this allegation before taking such drastic actions...By the states own theories of why they took all those ppl, they should strut into all the Catholic churches obtain all the members records and take all the kids into custody...We KNOW children were molested in those churches...Just goes to show that the state government is afraid of some religions to the point that they will tear apart families to make there point...Only this time it backfired, and they looked like total buffoons because of one idiot....Please sue the hell out of them FLDS!

    • Posted By: observer101 @ 07/31/2008 18:10:24

      Comment: Also if the state wanted so badly to put each and every case individually through the "system", then maybe they (FLDS) should individually file lawsuits against the state. Play by their (states) game plan..They would surely win...Cant wait to see the outcome of this awesome mistake.

  • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 11:36:45 AM

    Comment: Here's the real story of what happened in 3 minutes: You figure out who the bad guys were that got away.
    YouTube - Little Polygamist Compound on the Prairie Swat ...
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZs6G_4HQ1Q

  • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 12:05:07 AM

    Comment: Truth about Flora Jessop http://www.truthwillprevail.org/index.php?parentid=1&index=45
    Will Newsweek expose the real woman behind the raids? Rozita's stories come straight out of Flora's tall tales about her own life and false claims that she was beaten and kept in solitary confinement. Both Flora and Carolyn were instrumental in aiding authorities in stealing the FLDS children and both were crushed when the judges ruled the travesty must end. As the ladies said on TV, people judge from their own hearts.
    The government raid was the real horror story of human misery, oppression and inhumanity unequalled since the Japanese American internments which at least kept families together.

  • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 12:01:31 AM

    Comment: Wow, Flora made Newsweek. Next Newsweek should do a feature on the REAL woman behind the YFZ raid disaster, and the other side of the story from the FLDS folks that tried to raise her before she ran away to the outside world, and lived a life on the streets as a dancer, escort service, and substance abuse. Even the fellow polygamy fighters have about had enough of her antics. Most of Rosita's stories are very similar to stories Flora has told about her own life, and Flora has provided most of the material that Rozita studied. It is remarkable how dedicated Flora and Carolyn worked to aid authorties in removing all of the children, and both were crushed when the courts said that the travesty had to be put to an end. awarthurhu.

    "Truth about Flora Jessop" http://www.truthwillprevail.org/index.php?parentid=1&index=45

  • Posted By: taubekat @ 07/30/2008 3:51:41 PM

    Comment: My problem or issue with this cult is the example of 50 year old men marrying 13-15 year old girls???COME ON! Isn???t this illegal? If a man wants to marry 3 women and the women want to be married to the same man I don???t have a problem with this if they are consenting adults and that is a choice that THEY make. If a man wants to marry a man or a women wants to marry a women I don't care if they are adults and it is a choice they make.

    • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:08:34

      Comment: The point of the article is that the 50 year old man marry the 13-15 year old girl NEVER HAPPENED. IT WAS A FRAUD. WAKE UP. THE TWO PREGNANT "TEENAGERS" WERE MARRIED, 18 AND 22. SOME OF THE "TEENAGERS" WERE 27 AND UP. The real criminals are Flora, Carolyn, Angie Voss, Judge Walther and Governer Perry that were so intent on saving a girl that didn't exist they didn't realize or care about the amount of child and mother abuse inflicted on nearly 500 women, children, and their families housed in stables at Fort Concho with their telephones taken away and no changes of clothing for weeks. First they came for the polygamists. Then....

  • Posted By: pixel105 @ 07/30/2008 12:10:52 PM

    Comment: If you want to know the inside story of the polygamous cult lead by Warren Jeffs (who live at the YFZ Ranch in TX and in Colorado City, AZ.), check out the recent documentary BANKING ON HEAVEN. http://www.bankingonheaven.com

  • Posted By: Oldcop121 @ 07/29/2008 11:36:43 AM

    Comment: CPS in Texas passes on to law enforcement what ever they receive on their hot lines for abuse. Law enforcement then has to handle these cases generated by CPS by state law. CPS in Texas is a flawed system. They give little or poor information to law enforcement. I saw one case where a divorced mother complained to CPS of child abuse on the weekends her ex had the two kids because he bought them fast food to eat. Until the State of Texas officals get off their dead butts and overhaul CPS, cases like this will occur.

  • Posted By: NotSoBigMac @ 07/29/2008 5:37:50 AM

    Comment: What most disturbs me about this case is that it just gives many people an excuse to ignore real abuse taking place. And it does take place in every city in every country in this world. The FLDS, who have nothing to do with the LDS church headquartered in SLC, Utah, is a problem in itself, but the Texas way of dealing with it was clearly wrong.

    This person should probably be institutionalized.

    • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:36:50

      Comment: The real abuse? Compare the proven rate of abuse at the ranch (zero) with the rate of children rescued by CPS into foster care. Texas Youth Commision employees were proven to abuse boys, but they were not prosecuted. Texas AJ was told to prosecute the FLDS with ZERO proven cases of abuse. Read the stories by the mental health workers in San Angelo to read the REAL account of mass abuse of children and mothers inflicted in the name of "protecting children".

  • Posted By: sjbrock80 @ 07/28/2008 5:39:58 PM

    Comment: The key to her psychosis was addressed on the first page of the article, "She joined a Mormon church..." Therein lies the problem and the reason behind her insanity.

    • Posted By: PresidentSupporter @ 08/06/2008 18:24:47

      Comment: Very true, Mormons are a bunch of psycho's. When those guys come to my front door, I just answer the door with a shotgun now.

    • Posted By: NotSoBigMac @ 07/29/2008 05:43:04

      Comment: It is true that many "broken" people find solace in religion, whatever brand it may be. For a non-religious person, the Mormon church is not much different than any other (why would it be any more outrageous to claim that God appeared to a farm boy in upstate New York than to a shepherd in Sinai?). So if you have a grudge against Mormons, you are either an anti-Mormon activist (iow a "religious partisan") or have some other emotional issues.

      • Posted By: sjbrock80 @ 07/30/2008 17:28:51

        Comment: No, I just see that Mormons are a bunch of crazies who follow some dude named Joey Smith. It's a cult. I laugh at the Mormon cult just as I laugh at the other weirdo cults that pop up from time to time. There is always some lunatic behind the madness. Mormons follow their lunactic, Big Joey Smith.

        • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:33:05

          Comment: And what about a group of crazies who follow a dead man named Jesus Christ who claimed to be the son of god, walked on water, made the world in 7 days and the only way to salvation? Or a prophet named Mohammed?

  • Posted By: starshockeygirl01 @ 07/28/2008 12:24:40 AM

    Comment: Ok, Here goes, I totally agree that what this woman had done was wrong, in the way of lying to authorities. I do however give her credit for doing so and stopping something like this. I understand that some of the people choose to live this kind of lifestyle, but not all of them do. Kudos to this woman who helped save many lives! I understand that the children do not quite understand what his happening, but some will never know and some will evenutally understand. I know this woman is going to have her day in court and I most certainly hope that she gets the help she needs so there is no more false reporting from her.

    • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:15:20

      Comment: Folks, there were never any pregnant 13 year olds married by force to 50 year old men , no welfare frauds, no lost boys at this ranch. Just a bunch of terrified children, women and men. When will people realize the real tragedy that occured, some kids nearly died from the experience. One girl was left in stroller for 24 hours with no food or water and had to be hospitalize becuase CPS ran an unlicenced 24 hour infant day care operation, while workers remarked that these "child rapists and pedophiles" were the best mothers and children they had ever seen, and they were asking for child rearing manuals from the FLDS before they were forced to separate the kids. Never in American history has there been recorded so much crying on the parts of the kids, mothers, fathers, mental health and CPS workers.

      Americans have been so trained to fight hatred and bigotry and concentration camps they don't realize when it just happened again at the hands of government and law enforcement.

      "Any action taken to protect children is never misguided" Spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry.

    • Posted By: maxbianco @ 07/28/2008 07:26:31

      Comment: So, you're willing to "give her credit" for lying...??? did you even stop to consider how many other lives she has ruinned with her con games? I wonder how much "credit" you'll be giving her when texas gets the final bill for intruding on the lives of all those families. she does not need "Help" she needs to be convicted... AGAIN, and then sentenced for a very long time!
      Shame on you for even trying to defend such selfish, thoughtless stupidity!!!!

  • Posted By: ApolloKnowsAll @ 07/27/2008 6:57:59 PM

    Comment: The parents had children taken from them by the state. Now the parents can only leave the state if a court gives them permission.

    Scary.

    All I can say is, Texas is going to pay out millions to these families for kidnapping without cause.

    Including kidnapping women over the age of 18 simply because they look young (in other words, they weren't wearing makeup).

    This is a scary attack of parental civil liberties.

    As the supreme court declared, there is no reason for kidnapping children without more than the mere possibility that 40 years from now they might commit a crime. If that is all that it takes for CPS to take our children then there is not a family in America that would be safe--if you have the internet, then your child is predisposed to rape/murder (like ted bundy and most other serial killers who start their twisted ideas with pornography)...or video games (Columbine)...or...whatever the CPS case agent with a clipboard (but no children of her own) tells you is and is not acceptable to her, at that moment at that date.

    There should be millions of dollars in punitive and restorative damages to these people. Look at what the Duke lacrosse players were paid...Texas will be paying the same, but to 500 families.

    As for polygamy, it is insane. No way. No how, but it is less insane than homosexual men marrying each other as a few black robes have decided is morally acceptable in society.

    Texas will pay dearly for this religious attack. It is beyond belief that these kids had their scriptures taken from them while in the hands of their kidnappers (the state) without cause.

    Kah-Ching!

    • Posted By: JW-38 @ 08/09/2008 18:14:14

      Comment: In my thinking, it no longer matters if the FLDS broke any laws, this concerted attack on the constitution by the state of Texas has to result in federal charges for the governor and the heads of DPS and CPS. If it doesn???t, what good is it? Why have the feds spent nearly a trillion dollars to protect us from a country that was never going to hurt us, when a much greater danger is that gang of Nazis in Texas state government?

  • Posted By: boscobear @ 07/27/2008 5:46:31 PM

    Comment: What no one seems to realize is that these men are breaking the law by having more that one wife. Has anyone found a wife in this group that has more than one husband? Didn't think so. This is just a another way for men to rule over women. What does it say about the atmosphere for the kids. Do they have a choice? It is wrong and the authorities need to enforce the laws regarding this matter.

    • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:18:07

      Comment: These are the same folks who celebrate the legalization of gay marriage. Gay marriage is illegal in most states, but you don't see people wanting to arrest them for breaking the law. Nobody asked Angie Voss when she first had sexual relations with how many people, what she thought about the importance of bearing and raising children, or whether she thought gays should be able to be parents or abortion. Polygamy and childhood marriage used to be very common across most cultures, gay marriage has never been the norm until very recently.

  • Posted By: archmsu @ 07/27/2008 4:45:32 PM

    Comment: She's a liberal with an agenda, and probably insane..........the two go hand in hand.

  • Posted By: tompte @ 07/27/2008 11:45:54 AM

    Comment: if the male mormon pedophile polygamists have fathered babies with underage females, isn't that statutory rape?? clear and simple !!! jail them all...

    • Posted By: John_Toradze @ 07/27/2008 12:52:36

      Comment: Let us examine this.
      1. A pedophile is someone that has sex with a child before puberty. All of those considered possibly underage have been well past puberty.
      2. It is only in recent decades that the USA has, in some states, decided that even 16 is too young to marry. See: http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Scroll down to USA and it shows age of consent, state by state.

      So, I downloaded that table into a spreadsheet and got this, after eliminating all the unknowns. In several cases i filled in age of marriage with parental consent and without based on knowledge of customs in those societies.
      Global W/O parental consent W/ parental consent
      Average 16.44 14.99
      Median 16 16
      Minimum 13 0
      Maximum 25 20

      N.Amer, Eur. Japan
      Average 16.23 15.83
      Median 16 16
      Minimum 13 13
      Maximum 18 18
      USA
      Average 16.64 16.14
      Median 16 16
      Minimum 16 14
      Maximum 18 18

      Spain's age of consent is 13.
      Italy's age of consent is 14.
      Sweden, Iceland, Greece and Denmark age of consent is 15.

      Note that the USA average is lower than the global average. This is because of muslim nations that have practical age of consent without parents approval of about 25.

  • Posted By: John_Toradze @ 07/27/2008 11:36:25 AM

    Comment: Put that creature away for the maximum possible. Get her off the streets so she can't play her con games anymore. Who cares if she's "mentally ill"? She clearly has the gumption and ability to change - she just needs the motivation to do so. It's all about the attention she gets and the massive control over others that it gives her. She has learned how to grab the world by the tail and make it do her bidding. She's attractive and cute, so she gets away with destroying other people's lives. Put her away for good.

  • Posted By: JW-38 @ 07/27/2008 10:35:49 AM

    Comment: bt113393, if you mean Teresa Jeffs, it was her state-appointed attorney who claimed she was abused. Teresa claimed that was a lie, and has been trying to fire her since she appeared on the Nancy Grace show. Lately it???s come out in court documents that this attorney has been in trouble with CPS, and has lost her children due to her erratic behavior and child abuse. She also spent three months in a mental hospital due to her drug addictions. Such a fine example of the Texas legal profession! Such a fine role model for a child!

  • Posted By: bt113393 @ 07/27/2008 8:02:08 AM

    Comment: Your facts are incorrect. One teen did not return to the compound as she in fact claimed abuse by her husband and is now protected by the state. It might be a coincidence, but get your facts straight.

    • Posted By: John_Toradze @ 07/27/2008 11:41:52

      Comment: If you randomly rounded up 150 families from any section of suburbia in the USA, and after intense scrutiny, and attempting to find evidence of abuse you only had one, that would be very surprising.

      • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:20:45

        Comment: Out of 400 kids and women suspected of being kids there were NO unmarried teen mothers. ZERO. There were TWO pregnant mothers, married, 18 and 22. The government LIED. FLDS does not tolerate unmarried teen mothers, and officially gave up on underage marriages.

      • Posted By: John_Toradze @ 07/27/2008 11:52:07

        Comment: It appears that JW-38 is correct about this ONE who did not return fighting with her attorney to be allowed to go back.
        http://www.sltrib.com/polygamy/ci_9967065?source=rss
        http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/06/23/0623jeffs.html
        Looks like she has been consistently trying to fire her attorney for a couple of months now. As a minor, she is caught in the system and cannot do so unless the judge agrees with her. The presiding judge no doubt has a need to cover her own behind to justify SOMETHING about the raid as being valid.

        Rogue judge. Rogue DA. And a rogue lawyer. Bad news folks. Very bad news.

  • Posted By: TheRealAFranco @ 07/27/2008 7:40:44 AM

    Comment: If they are going to enforce laws against polygamy, then they must also enforce laws against multiple partners outside of a religious context, as well, along with adultery, multiple living arrangements outside of marriage, etc. But, that isn't going to happen, is it? Of course not. Instead, we have nothing more than religious descrimination taking place, with "violation of polygamy laws" being used as an excuse, just like prosecuting Al Capone for tax evasion, because they couldn't get him for anything else. As for the ALLEGED abuse "going on" in the FLDS CHURCH...."cult" being an opinion, not a fact, the so-called investigation taking place since the mass kidnapping of over 460 children by unauthorized state officials, as stated in a TX SUPREME COURT decision, showed no more s-u-s-p-e-c-t-e-d abuse taking place there than any other community, and less in most scenarios. So, until facts, not suspicion, prove otherwise, we are still Americans, living in a democracy, where it is still SUPPOSED to be innocent until PROVEN guilty, not GUILTY by suspicion or design, until PROVEN innocent. And that is true, even for this....."person". I am not for or against the FLDS church or their beliefs. I do not believe in forcing underage children into marriages, but that's a product of rearing, and may not necessarily be the case for the children of this community. So, once again, we are imposing our beliefs, or rather, superimposing them, running rough shod over the beliefs of the people of this community. WE are out of line, not them, in that case. I do believe in the upholding of civil rights for all Americans, and the correct application of DUE PROCESS. CPS in all but about 7 states, according to published federal guideline findings, needs a complete shutdown, overhaul, and re staffing with competent people, not the God complex morons most of them have in place right now.

  • Posted By: techresmgt @ 07/27/2008 6:31:27 AM

    Comment: Here we go again; men are criminals and women are victims. The myth continues.

  • Posted By: becca77 @ 07/26/2008 11:26:49 PM

    Comment: JW-38, Regardless of Rozita's lies, there was and is abuse going on in the FDLS cult. It is a shame that it took a call from an insane person for the government to step in and try to save those children. What is sick and twisted is they released those innocent children back to those pedophiles.

    • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:22:58

      Comment: Rozita's lies are based on Flora and Carolyn Jessops' lies. There is no and was never a pervasive culture of marriage of 13 year olds to 50 year old men. Warren maybe, but he's in jail already and people still wonder how he got on the FBI top 10 most wanted and convicted of accesory for rape for arranging a marriage between two cousins.

  • Posted By: Boise Leon @ 07/26/2008 5:09:10 PM

    Comment: Rozita is just a small chapter in the Zeit Geist Conspiracy. Connecting the dots back to 2002 produces too many coincidences to be accidental. Warren Jeffs breaks the rules for succession. Utah authors Texas' new age of consent law after FLDS moves in. Mitt Romney announces for presidency. Jeffs is on 10 most wanted list, the first accomplice ever to make the list. Jeffs trials delayed until super Tuesday.

  • Posted By: JW-38 @ 07/26/2008 3:02:31 PM

    Comment: More than 500 people were abused and incarcerated for 2 months without trial, charges, or any evidence against them, while this woman went free to do her thing. She called a Washington shelter a week before she called the Texas shelter, with basically the same story about the YFZ ranch, giving Texas plenty of time to check it out. Then Texas Rangers carted off boxes of evidence from her apartment and no one ever saw it again. So what is Texas covering up? Why are they protecting her?

    • Posted By: maxbianco @ 07/28/2008 07:52:23

      Comment: They are protecting her because she is a Woman! That makes her an automatic Victim!! silly, dont you know that already???
      Men DO NOT have the priviledge of using the VICTIM card!

      • Posted By: rec19724u @ 07/28/2008 11:44:52

        Comment: Nonone should be able to utilize a "priviledge" card, man or woman, clearly this woman has a psychological problem, her actions are not what could be considered normal, I believe that when or if it can be proven that there isn't a mental issue she should be punished

  • Posted By: JW-38 @ 07/26/2008 3:01:15 PM

    Comment: More than 500 people were abused and incarcerated for 2 months without trial, charges, or any evidence against them, while this woman went free to do her thing. She called a Washington shelter a week before she called the Texas shelter, with basically the same story about the YFZ ranch, giving Texas plenty of time to check it out. Then Texas Rangers carted off boxes of evidence from her apartment and no one ever saw it again. So what is Texas covering up? Why are they protecting her?

    • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:27:57

      Comment: Somebody paid her $20,000 bail, and the state OF TEXAS ordered her case to be sealed. Texas continued to insist long after the phone calls were tied to Rozita that Sarah was real, and Sherriff Doran STILL doesn't know if Sarah was hoax. But the important thing is to protect the children, you can't err in a way that would harm the children in any way. (which they did big time)

    • Posted By: Boise Leon @ 07/26/2008 17:08:06

      Comment: Rozita is just a small chapter in the Zeit Geist Conspiracy. Connecting the dots back to 2002 produces too many coincidences to be accidental. Warren Jeffs breaks the rules for succession. Utah authors Texas' new age of consent law after FLDS moves in. Mitt Romney announces for presidency. Jeffs is on 10 most wanted list, the first accomplice ever to make the list. Jeffs trials delayed until super Tuesday.

      • Posted By: nearthurhu @ 07/31/2008 00:25:36

        Comment: Boise, I spotted you here again. Man you may be crazy, but you just may be right. Watch out for the book I'm working on that puts all of the puzzle pieces together. The real bad guys are CPs Flora, Carolyn, Nancy Grace, Perry, Voss, and Walther. They need to do an expose on CPs and Flora, and the internment camps at Fort Concho and THE SEPARATION at the pavillion. It will be required reading in high schools with Farewll to Manzanar once people realize what went on back then. Nobody knows.

 
 
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