| State court removes polygamous judge Hildale mayor says no decision made yet on how to replace Steed | ||
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By Patrice St. Germain patrices@thespectrum.com | ||
HILDALE - The Utah Supreme Court came down with a decision on Friday to remove Hildale Justice Court Judge Walter Steed. The court's decision was made public on Friday, almost three weeks past the 90-day deadline for rendering a decision. Hildale Mayor David Zitting said he wasn't sure what the city would do to replace Steed, who has served as the justice court judge for 25 years in the community, which is predominately made up of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, whose members practice polygamy. Steed, by his own admission, has three wives and has fathered 32 children. The Utah Supreme Court ordered Steed's removal because he "is flaunting the prohibitions of the bigamy statute." "It takes certain training and qualifications to replace a judge and I don't think we will rush into it," Zitting said. "You can't replace someone overnight." Court will still be in session on Saturday and former Hurricane Justice Court Judge Richard Carr will be filling in, Zitting said. The issue over removing Steed was raised more than a year ago when Douglas White, the attorney for the anti-polygamy group Tapestry Against Polygamy, asked the Judicial Conduct Commission to investigate the matter of Steed serving as a justice court judge although he had three wives. Colin Winchester, the executive director of the Judicial Conduct Commission, said the commission's recommendation was to remove Steed. The Commission then asked for a Utah Supreme Court decision and oral arguments on the issue where heard in November. Winchester declined to comment on the Utah Supreme Court decision on Friday. In a statement by Steed issued through his attorney Rodney Parker, Steed had hoped that the court would see "my case as an opportunity to correct the injustices that are caused by the criminalization of my religious beliefs and lifestyle, and I am disappointed that the court did not reach those issues in my case." "Although the issue was not addressed, I am hopeful that the court will eventually consider the issue of polygamy as an aspect of personal privacy, marital rights, and religious freedom," Steed said in the release. "I am proud of my effort to bring the issue before the court and the people of Utah." Parker said he was disappointed in the decision. "The opinion did nothing to address polygamy," Parker said. | ||
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TheSpectrum.com Originally published February 25, 2006 | ||
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