Will Texas CPS learn from Supreme Court FLDS ruling as Act I ends?

The Texas Supreme Court today upheld the Texas Court of Appeals and said that Child Protective Services had no legal grounds to separate Fundamentalist Mormon children from their mothers, as the Yearning for Zion ranch case now officially ends Act I.

The opinion was unsigned, meaning the high court saw this as a no-brainer decision.

That said, three justices had a concurring opinion, in which they said CPS did have some evidence of the possibility of prepubescent sexual abuse, but failed to consider less-obtrusive options than mass removal. For example, CPS could have taken DNA samples of all men, all women believed to be under a certain age and all children those women birthed.

Now, as the story notes, CPS has options. It can restrict the movement of children reunited with their parents.

But, with $4/gallon gas and CPS workers already weeks behind in state travel voucher reimbursements, can CPS even afford to monitor something like that?

As for CPS’ fear the group would flee the state – to where? They’d have to fly WAYYY under the radar screen to hide themselves, and would soon be rediscovered again. Their Mexican counterparts don’t want them south of the border, either.

But, right now, all CPS will say is that it is “reviewing its options.”

We can only hope it does more than that. Unfortunately, the curtain will likely raise on a discombobulated Act II.