Trial Thursday in FLDS case
 
By Nancy Perkins
Deseret Morning News
 
COLORADO CITY, Ariz. — A Mohave County judge is scheduled to hear testimony in the eviction trial of Ross Chatwin, a former member of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

According to an eviction notice served on Chatwin at his Colorado City home early Monday, Chatwin must appear in Mohave County Superior Court in Kingman, Ariz., on Thursday. Judge James E. Chavez is slated to preside over the 9 a.m. bench trial.

"I'm hoping the judge will give me more time to prepare for this," said Chatwin, who was served with an initial eviction notice on Jan. 26 and has since received two more notices.

Chatwin and his 32-year-old wife, Lori, live in the basement of a frame house with their six children, ages 9 months to 11 years. Chatwin was excommunicated from the FLDS Church in November for pursuing two underage girls as potential wives. He was told in January to leave the church-owned home that he and his family have lived in for about two years.

FLDS leaders also counseled Lori Chatwin to take the couple's children and leave so she could be assigned to a more worthy man. She rejected the idea, and the Chatwins have since said they no longer believe in the FLDS principle of polygamy.

Chatwin said he sent a 10-page certified letter to FLDS attorney Rod Parker on Friday that outlined the reasons he refuses to leave. Parker said Monday afternoon he couldn't comment on the letter because he hasn't yet seen it.

Chatwin first garnered media attention on Jan. 23 by holding a press conference on the front lawn of his home in the polygamous town of Colorado City. More than 35 reporters and photographers showed up to hear Chatwin denounce FLDS leader Warren Jeffs as a "Hitler-like dictator" who needs to be stopped.

"I don't have an attorney yet, and I don't have any money to pay for one either," Chatwin said on Monday. "I need someone to help me pro bono."

The FLDS church owns most of the property in Colorado City and its neighbor, Hildale, Utah, through a charitable trust called the United Effort Plan.
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published Tuesday, February 3, 2004
 
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