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By Kent Larsen
Opening of Green Polygamy Trial Attracts Attention of the World
PROVO, UTAH -- The start of the court case against polygamist Tom Green has
attracted attention from newspapers all over the English speaking world.
Newspaper stories on major news wires like the Associated Press, United
Press International and Reuters have appeared in newspapers across the US
and around the world, including such disparate places as Johannesburg, South
Africa, Manchester, England and Melbourne, Australia. Utah's 4th District
Court yesterday selected a jury of eight with one alternate to hear the case
against Green, who is charged with four counts of bigamy.
As the first prosecution of polygamy in recent years (and only the fourth
since the disastrous Short Creek raid of 1953 showed the sometimes difficult
results of prosecution), the trial may also set the pattern for dealing with
polygamy in the future. Green, through appearances on national television
shows, has become the most visible example of polygamy today, and the case
against him, unlike the prosecution last year of two brothers from the
Kingston polygamy clan, is entirely about polygamy, instead of about child
abuse or other crimes associated with polygamy today. This has led activists
to line up on both sides of the case, opposing and promoting the practice.
Even the jury selection process, started two weeks ago when 101 potential
jurors were given questionnaires on their religious beliefs and personal
feelings about polygamy and Green, brought out the complexity of the issue.
Jurors were asked if they belonged to organizations hostile to plural
marriage as defense lawyer John Bucher sought to exclude members of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- a difficult task in Utah
county, where the population is 90% members of the Church. This has led
Green to claim that he can't get an impartial jury.
Green, who once served as a missionary for the LDS Church, before he adopted
polygamy and was excommunicated, currently has five wives and was previously
married to five other women. He has a total of 30 children, including 25 by
his current wives, and a report in USA Today says four of his wives are now
pregnant. His prosecution began a year ago, when Juab County prosecutor
David Leavitt, brother of Utah Governor Mike Leavitt, saw Green appear on
several national TV shows to talk about his polygamous lifestyle. His
appearances came after the high-profile Utah prosecution of two brothers
from the Kingston polygamy clan for child abuse crimes related to the early
marriage and subsequent beating of a teenage girl who tried to run away from
the marriage.
Leavitt says that those appearances let him know that Green was committing a
crime. "He told 500 million people (on television)" Leavitt told the court
in June last year. "Green's scheme is a very public challenge to our
marriage laws," he said in court documents. This case also involves a charge
of criminal nonsupport of nine of his children, in addition to the four
bigamy counts. Another case, which Leavitt will prosecute later in the year,
charges Green with child rape because he impregnated his fourth wife, Linda
Kunz, when she was 13. Kunz is still married to Green, and is now his senior
wife.
Green claims that Leavitt has singled him out for prosecution, ignoring
other polygamists, simply because of his vocal promotion of plural marriage.
"You stick your head out of the hole, the government will shoot it off," he
says. "That's been the unwritten rule for 50 years in Utah. You'll pretend
you don't exist and we'll pretend you don't exist," he adds, and says that
the prosecution is a violation of his right to free speech. Green also sees
the LDS Church involved in his prosecution because of the assistance to the
prosecution of a BYU law professor.
Meanwhile, the public nature of the trial, expected to last for several
weeks, will continue to focus attention on polygamy in Utah and the LDS
Church's historical relationship to the practice. The fact that many of
those involved in the case and in Utah politics, including prosecutor
Leavitt, are descended from Mormon polygamists, has featured prominently in
newspaper coverage, and comments from the public in online forums connected
with the New York Times and CNN also claimed that the LDS Church still
believes plural marriage is an eternal principle, something now practiced
only in heaven.
Sources:
Trial Opens in Rare Case of a Utahan Charged With Polygamy
New York Times 15May01 N5
By Michael Janofsky
Polygamy stands trial in Utah
Melbourne Australia The Age 16May01 N5
By Simon Davis
Polygamist's trial begins
Deseret News 14May01 N5
By Geoffrey Fattah: Deseret News staff writer
Green's last-minute motion to stop it is rejected by judge
Seven brides for one brother
Edinborough Scotland Scotsman 13May01 N5
Mormon with five spouses faces trial in Utah
Dublin Ireland Irish Independent (London Times) 13May01 N5
Polygamist Trial Jurors Selected
ABC News (AP) 15May01 N5
Associated Press
First Such Prosecution in Almost 50 Years
Defense Weeds Devout Mormons From Jury Pool in Bigamy Trial
Salt Lake Tribune 15May01 N5
By Kevin Cantera and Michael Vigh: Salt Lake Tribune
Mormon goes on trial in test case for bigamy
London UK Times 15May01 N5
From Martin Fletcher in Washington
Utah Polygamy Case Goes Ahead After Judge's Ruling
Yahoo! News (Reuters) 14May01 N5
By James Nelson
Polygamy on trial in Utah
BBC News 14May01 N5
Jury chosen for polygamy case
Johannesburg South Africa News24 14May01 N5
Jury Picks to Begin in Polygamy Case
FOX News 14May01 N5
Associated Press
Polygamist To Be Tried
Sky News 14May01 N5
Mormon polygamist -- and a lifestyle -- go on trial today
Washington Times 14May01 N5
By Valerie Richardson: Washington Times
Utah steps up prosecutions of polygamists
USA Today pg5A 14May01 N5
By Patrick O'Driscoll: USA Today
Polygamy trial begins
Virtual New York (UPI) 14May01 N5
United Press International
Utah prosecutes man with 5 wives, 26 kids
Chicago Sun-Times 13May01 N5
By Jan Cienski
Roots of polygamy go beyond Utah
Provo UT Daily Herald 13May01 N6
By Donald W. Meyers: Daily Herald
See also:
New Book Looks at Modern Polygamy from Teenage Perspective
Green Trial Leads To Review Of Polygamy Prosecution
Judge Rules Against Polygamist Tom Green's Scheme to Avoid Bigamy
Self-proclaimed polygamist charged with child rape, bigamy
State Suing Polygamist To Recoup Welfare Benefits
Anti-Polygamy Websites:
Tapestry Against Polygamy
The Principle
Pro-Polygamy Websites:
Women's Religious Liberties Union
Voices in Harmony
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