Judges must adhere to Utah laws
 
Opinion
The Spectrum
 
The Utah Supreme Court recently heard arguments from the Judicial Conduct Commission that Steed, who has served Hildale since 1981, should be removed from the bench because he is an admitted polygamist. Steed reportedly has three wives and 32 children.

Justice court judges usually don't make any decisions related to serious crimes. Instead, they oversee cases involving traffic violations and misdemeanors.

Those types of crimes are far removed from the actions of some polygamists who have had sex with children and who have, in effect, stolen from taxpayers via welfare fraud. But this case against Steed digs further than what it appears to do on the surface.

Polygamy is against the state Constitution. While legalizing polygamy might be a point for debate because of the U.S. Constitution's protection for religion, the point is that the practice of polygamy is a crime in present-day Utah. Allowing a judge to stay on the bench despite his reported admission of a crime cannot be supported.

Has he served Hildale well? Perhaps, but that's not the most important thing in this case.

Not all residents of Hildale commit crimes against children or participate in welfare fraud. But it's clear that some do.

Fostering a justice system that fails in any of its duties allows these kinds of problems to fester. People who know about wrongdoing might come forward more often if they knew that the people they were reporting these crimes to are trustworthy. A judge who is reportedly committing a crime cannot be allowed to stay on the bench when that argument is taken into consideration.

The Supreme Court has an important decision to make. We hope they make the correct one and let the law - and not emotion - play a major role in the decision.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published November 14, 2005
 
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