Winston blackmore news3/2/2024 ![]() ![]() Indeed, the records were secured in a vault surrounded by concrete in an FLDS temple, as Texas Rangers had to drill through the side in order to gain entry. Bennett - that what is recorded on Earth is also recorded in Heaven. ![]() The records were important to the case, given their spiritual significance - as described by both Dr. Additionally, Wilson also tendered Oler’s own personal record and the records of his five alleged wives as evidence. Wilson submitted evidence of 22 marriage records for Winston Blackmore, and four marriage records for Oler. law enforcement during a raid on the Yearning for Zion ranch - an FLDS compound - in Texas in 2008. From there, fundamentalist groups split off from the mainstream Mormon in order to practice polygamy, which the FLDS believes to be essential to reaching the highest order of heaven.Ī significant portion of evidence against Blackmore and Oler involved marriage records that were seized by U.S. Richard Bennett, expert witnesses both testified to the history of the mainstream Mormon church and the rift that occurred in 1890 after a religious revelation prohibited the practice of polygamy. “Rather, the Crown is required to prove an accused was in more than one marriage at the same point in time within the specified timeframe.”ĭonegan summarized the evidence of Dr. “The Crown is not required to prove each accused practised a form of polygamy or a kind of conjugal union with all of the persons named in the count applicable to that accused,” wrote Donegan, “nor is the Crown required to prove an accused did so over the duration of the time period specified in the count. In the judgement, Donegan had to determine if the Crown needed to prove harm, compulsion or lack of consent, the necessary elements to prove a conjugal union and the meaning of ‘practices’ as it relates to the two counts described in the indictment. The ruling from that reference case paved the way for charges of polygamy to be pursued against Blackmore and Oler. Much of Donegan’s ruling was also based around the analysis of a landmark constitutional reference case in 2011 that cemented polygamy as a crime within the Canadian Criminal Code and that the harms associated with polygamy outweigh the individual charter right to religious freedom. Justice Sheri-Anne Donegan presided over the trial, hearing evidence that included religious marriage and personal records stored by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), along with testimony from experts on mainstream Mormon faith, police investigators, and Blackmore’s first legal wife, Jane Blackmore. Both Blackmore and Oler were charged with practicing polygamy Blackmore with 24 wives, some of which were underage, over nearly 15 years span, while Oler was initially charged with practicing polygamy with four women, however, a fifth was added to his indictment during the proceedings. Special prosecutor Peter Wilson built a compelling case against Blackmore and his co-accused, James Marion Oler, during the course of the trial. However, the outcome was never really in doubt, as Blackmore was adamant during the trial and after the verdict delivery that he was never going to deny his faith. “We’ll see what happens,” he told reporters on his way into the building. Polygamist leader Winston Blackmore was rushed by a mob of media on Monday morning before entering Cranbrook Supreme Court to hear his judgement on a polygamy charge.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |