Judge Walther: Natalie Malonis will continue with Teresa Jeffs

by Kurt Schulzke on September 5, 2008

Natalie Malonis will continue as attorney ad litem for Teresa Jeffs following a raucous hearing that extended over two days. Deseret News’ Ben Winslow filed a comprehensive report early this morning. I remain confused by this Malonis-Jeffs part of the FLDS case on two fronts.

First, I don’t understand why the FLDS hierarchy are so intent on having Malonis replaced. What is the strategic imperative that merits such an expenditure of time, gold and emotion?

Second, in the other direction, I don’t understand why it is so essential for the good of Teresa Jeffs that Malonis NOT be replaced. Surely — now that CPS is rapidly non-suiting practically everyone else — there are scores if not hundreds of perfectly capable Texas AALs (many trained and indoctrinated by CPS lead counsel Charles Childress) looking for clients.

{ 90 comments… read them below or add one }

Pliggy September 6, 2008 at 1:34 pm

Kurt, the only reason TWP EVEN put up the Malonis stuff, was to show that “tit for tat” has an obvious double standard.

Just for a minute read the allegations with the name “Natalie Jeffs” and see how far Natalie Malonis would go to make them TRUE.

SKK September 6, 2008 at 1:38 pm

rikki-

You’re mistaken, and even if it was Malonis who said the girl was a sex abuse victim .. how is that unethical if the discclosure was in a judicial proceeding (not in the press) and the purpose of the disclosure was to obtain orders of protection?

Wasnt efiling mandatory? Weren’t most of the cases under the massive 2902 ..wasn’t everyone required to notice all parties under TRCP? Where is the sanctionable conduct?

SKK September 6, 2008 at 1:52 pm

Pliggy – if that is why TWP posted those things that is really quite sick. Malonis made disclosures as part of a judicial proceeding involving the protection of the girl. To thnk Malonis has done anything in an effort to harm or embarass her client is insanity. TWP’s posts about Malonis are not justified for any reason and they just make the FLDS look like spiteful bullies. It shores up Malonis’ allegation of improper influence because it sure looks like the FLDS are trying to control the process through intimidation.

Pliggy September 6, 2008 at 1:53 pm

“Where is the sanctionable conduct?”
Gooood question!

To rehash:

Natalie recieved some unsubstanciated info from LE and the book “Stolen Intelligence”, and without even ASKING her CLIENT, or out of FEAR that her client was not telling her the truth, stated audibly in court that she was a sexual abuse victim , had a child, and that the child was being cared for by someone else. She did not get this information from her CLIENT. And “in her best interest” asked for an order to “protect” her by putting special restrictions against Teresa’s mother.

And then THE SAME DAY gets on Nancy Grace and basically tells them that the STATE SHOULD WIN against the wishes of HER CLIENT. Client? Client? What client? It is like having Angie VOSS as your AAL.

Pliggy September 6, 2008 at 1:57 pm

SKK, and I am sure you have the “best interest of the child” in your heart too. Call me insane all you want, but you don’t know beans from buttermilk if you think Natalie cares more about Teresa than I do, let alone her MOTHER.

Pliggy September 6, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Intimidation? Are you SERIOUS? DID YOU FORGET? NATALIE asked for and recieved a Restraining order against WILLIE because Teresa was told she had the OPTION of getting rid of the Nancy Grace star? Who is intimidating who?

Thomas Forguson September 6, 2008 at 2:09 pm

SKK: It was wrong for Natalie Malonis to say Teresa Jeffs had a baby when she did not. False Statements are harmful. You mind consider that Teresa has a mind of her own. Natalie Malonis is doing too good a job for CPS to be replaced. The fact that Angie Voss was in court to support the decision against Tersesa shows who Natalie is actually is working for.

Christina September 6, 2008 at 3:13 pm

For all those that say Theresa is a virgin and never had a child where is the document from a doctor saying that cuz i would like to see it so would other people so until i and alot of other people see it i wont believe she didnt have a baby i think she does this is all about power for the FLDS men having Natalie on the case scares them most likely one of the strongest women they have come across she doesnt buy into the bit about being in a harem to get to heaven

Thomas Forguson September 6, 2008 at 3:18 pm

A strong woman or a strong man does not tell lies about his or her clients in or of court.

rikitikitavi1 September 6, 2008 at 3:25 pm

SKK, you are [misstating the facts]. I read those pleadings myself (thanks to Malonis serving everyone on the e-filing list) so I know what she was alleging.

rikitikitavi1 September 6, 2008 at 3:27 pm

to continue: e-filing was mandatory, except now we learn CPS didn’t have to comply with e-filing (much easier to get ex parte orders that way). However, you have the option of selecting only those involved in your case; until she filed the motion to seal, Natalie always served everyone with whatever it was she was filing that day.

Christina September 6, 2008 at 3:31 pm

Tom show me the overwhelming evidence of her lies. PLEASE. I gotta see this

R September 6, 2008 at 4:06 pm

You can start with her lies (in court) about Teresa having a baby that was taken from her.

Chai Tea September 6, 2008 at 4:43 pm

Kurt,

My allegory of a rattlesnake was to show that one does not have to be personally acquainted with a person to recognize danger – someone basically accused Jeny of having a prejudice against Malonis because of a personal relationship with her. Jeny explained that she didn’t, and I expanded on that explanation that as I did.

If you want to ban me for that, so be it.

Thomas Forguson September 6, 2008 at 4:46 pm

I dont have a transcript of the court hearing. You will have to wait for that. Natalie Malonis said in open court that Teresa Jeffs had had a baby that was being claimed by another woman. Natalie said her source was an unspecified one from law enforcement. Overwhelming evidence is a standard that is not being applied to CPS and its apologists.

Jeny September 6, 2008 at 5:00 pm

Chai Tea { 09.06.08 at 4:43 pm } Kurt,

My allegory of a rattlesnake was to show that one does not have to be personally acquainted with a person to recognize danger – someone basically accused Jeny of having a prejudice against Malonis because of a personal relationship with her. Jeny explained that she didn’t, and I expanded on that explanation that as I did.
================
Yes, I was accused of having a personal relationship with Natalie Malonis–after they quoted Chai Tea and attributed Chai’s words to me, no less.

Here is the post where the accusation was made by SKK. Note the name, date and time stamp. And then note who it was addressed to. Me.
____________________________________________
33 SKK { 09.05.08 at 9:52 pm } Jeny -

I think you’ve answered my question. You must have something personal against Malonis since you continue to “stray” from the truth in your Malonis bashing. ”
_______________________________

I have explained time and time again. I live in GEORGIA (which Kurt himself can confirm). I have lived her for 40 years. There is NO reason for me to have EVER met Natalie Malonis. Ever. Not in person. Not on the phone. Not on e-mail. Not over the internet. NOT EVER.

I do not know Natalie Malonis personally. I do not know her, Sam I am. I do not know her here or there. I do not know her over there. I do not know her in Texas or Georgia. I do know now her there or here. I DO NOT KNOW HER, Sam I am.

I base my (admittedly harsh) judgements of Ms. Malonis on her very public, very unethical (in my opinion) behavior. In addition to public documents related to her personal life that I have read and that cast her in a very negative light.

The DEMONSTRABLY FALSE accusations that I have some kind of personal relationship with Ms. Malonis, and therefore an ax to grind with Ms. Malonis have grown tiresome.

I appreciate the assistance that Chai was attempting to lend and I think you’ve really overblown Chai’s post and read things into it that weren’t there, Kurt.

===========================
If you want to ban me for that, so be it.
===========================

I hope you won’t ban Chai nor myself–I’ve seen you look the other way at far more egregious behavior here–without the single threat of a ban. I don’t think either of us deserve it, but that of course is my opinion.

Jeny

SKK September 6, 2008 at 6:31 pm

rikki -

Alleging something in a pleading as part of a judicial process is different than making an announcement to the media, yes?

Thomas — perhaps you should read the transcripts that Kurt posted before you make assumptions about who Malonis is “working for.” I read them. She was very supportive of the mother and it sounded like she was opposing CPS and taking them to task in one of those transcripts.

SKK September 6, 2008 at 6:42 pm

Here’s the transcript from the May 30 hearing where everyone is saying Malonis said TJ had a baby and was hiding it. If the embed code doesnt work, hopefully Kurt can fix it.

may 30

Chai Tea September 6, 2008 at 6:49 pm

SKK…all I get is blank pages. But I have dial up so I may not be waiting long enough for the pages to load. Can you give a summary?

SKK September 6, 2008 at 7:08 pm

Malonis asks the CPS lawyer if every child has a parent identified and he hems and haws and doesn’t really answer. Malonis says:

“Okay. I do have a particular concern. I have one client who there is — there is some suspicion that she has a child and another — another person in the State’s custody is caring for that child. And that’s — that’s an issue where the DNA testing would, of course, clarify that.”

Walther asks the CPS lawyer what to do … more hemming and hawing. Walther asks Malonis what to do, and Malonis says she can narrow it down but doesnt have specifics. Walther tells her to stay after the hearing to address it because it is not applicable to all of the children.

SKK September 6, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Chai — are you able to view the ones Kurt posted?

Bob September 6, 2008 at 8:08 pm

The question was asked as to why the FLDS leadership would put so much effort into trying to have M removed.

I’m not FLDS and can’t speak for them. However, if I were them, I might answer with the following partial answer off the top of my head:

1. Teresa is one of us and we don’t abandon our own.
2. We understand, now, that if we sit on our rights we’ll lose our rights. Thus,we want to be very sure that we have a paper trail to preserve some appealable issues.
3. We want the paper trail for possible legal action we may bring.
4. We are no longer going to let others trample on our rights, and we’ll now fight back in every direction to protect our rights.
5. As with so many legal matters, public opinion is important and we want to make sure the public is aware of this matter.

Thomas Forguson September 6, 2008 at 8:54 pm

SKK: You have chosen to ignore the obvious point. If there was no AAL, CPS would be doing exactly the same thing. Juveniles with parents on death row can still visit them. Teresa cant even write to her father. Since her father is behind bars, the only reason for totally cutting off contact is pure meaness on the part of Malonis and Walther. For insisting that Malonis represent her client and not CPS, Malonis in another bout of meaness sought a restraining order against Willie Jessop.

Thomas Forguson September 6, 2008 at 8:57 pm

SKK: You forget that Natalie visited in Teresa in her foster home and accused her of having a baby and hiding it.

Chai Tea September 6, 2008 at 8:59 pm

SKK – Yes, but I’ve only read one so far.

rikitikitavi1 September 6, 2008 at 9:45 pm

Alleging something in a pleading as part of a judicial process is different than making an announcement to the media, yes?

She came right out & called her client a liar. She failed to file a motion to seal right off the bat, even though she knew she was “alleging” very sensitive information. (She only filed one when the heat turned on HER.) She knew it would be leaked to the press & never attempted to correct the stories which reported she believed her client had a baby, despite her client saying otherwise. Her duty as an attorney (even as an ad litem, especially considering her client was about to turn 17) was to represent her client’s wishes & tell CPS to PROVE what they were saying, instead of saying “Okay CPS, I believe you & not my client.” Her filing should have alleged HER CLIENT’S POSITION, not CPS’ or her own. Unethical & unprofessional.

SKK September 6, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Thomas Forguson { 09.06.08 at 8:57 pm }
SKK: You forget that Natalie visited in Teresa in her foster home and accused her of having a baby and hiding it.

No she did not! Why is it so important to you that Malonis be a bad guy .. so important that you’ll make up stuff that didn’t happen? Do you think that is helpful to Teresa? It’s not.

SKK September 6, 2008 at 9:51 pm

rikki – you’re wrong on the facts.

Jeny September 7, 2008 at 7:51 am

SKK—apparently everyone here is wrong, or a liar, or making stuff up, or has a personal problem with Natalie.

That is, everyone else except you, right?

Why is that, you think? Hmmm.

And why is it you come here so forcefully defending Natalie Malonis? Why she your singular focus? Why aren’t you focusing on any other of the actors in this ridiculous kangaroo court?

I would posit that it is YOU who has a personal connection to Natalie Malonis and that is why you are here. That your singular purpose is to try to make her look as good as possible here.

That is why you are making false accusations against posters (ie, me) and failing to even acknowledge your error or apologize for your gauche behavior.

So….everyone here is “wrong” and you’re “right”. Is that how it is?

ROFLMAO. :D

Jeny September 7, 2008 at 7:58 am

So, here’s the list of accusations you’ve flung so far, SKK:

Jeny – has some personal connection Natalie Malonis, which is why she hates her. (ROFLMAO) :D

rikki – is just “wrong on the facts”

Thomas Ferguson – “Making up stuff that did not happen”

Pliggy – you accuse of being “insane” and a “bully” because he is FLDS

And that’s just the few I found in this thread alone, in about 5 minutes of glancing through your posts.

Are you the fun poster?

Jeny September 7, 2008 at 8:10 am

42 SKK { 09.06.08 at 9:24 am } I googled — I read Nancy Grace transcripts. No mention of “daughter of Warren Jeffs” or sex abuse or mention of anything that sounds like it’s related to TJ. I think you folks are confusing what the media said and what Malonis said.

Sorry for attributing the post to the wrong person. My goodness that’s a strong reaction.
==============

The “strong reaction” wasn’t because you falsely attributed Chai’s post to me, the “strong reaction” was due to YOUR FALSE ACCUSATION you made against me in response to Chai’s post.

The FALSE ACCUSATION you have yet to apologize for and correct.

I *d0* tend to take offense when someone falsely accuses me of having a relationship with someone I’ve never met. I do take offense to being falsely accused of having ulterior motives for criticising that person–who is a public figure.

I have absolutely NOTHING PERSONAL to gain in criticising Natalie Malonis.

However, as a public figure, she is open to criticism. And as an American Citizen, I am entitled to openly criticize her, and it has NOTHING to do with any realtionship you seem to believe I might have with her.

I do not know Natalie Malonis personally. I do not know her, Sam I am. I do not know her here or there. I do not know her over there. I do not know her in Texas or Georgia. I do not know her there or here. I DO NOT KNOW HER ANYWHERE, Sam I am.

Does this look familiar, SKK?
_________________________________________
33 SKK { 09.05.08 at 9:52 pm } Jeny -

I think you’ve answered my question. You must have something personal against Malonis since you continue to “stray” from the truth in your Malonis bashing. ”
_______________________________

THAT is what my “strong reaction” was to.

I still haven’t seen your apology other than the non-apology I quoted at the top of this post.

SKK September 7, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Jeny -

I apologize for attributing the wrong post to you and I apologize for any conclusions I drew as a result of my error.

Christina September 7, 2008 at 4:50 pm

Why are you so determined to believe the FLDS which has shown to hide the truth and lie and not anyone else I for one have lived in foster care when I was 13 until 17 they are not as bad as you think I would chose foster care over what happened to me with my parents any day of the week I to thought they were bad until I saw first hand the difference between outside my parents house compared to what my parents did to me and my brother

Christina September 7, 2008 at 4:52 pm

Tom get your facts straight before you run around spewing garbage out

Chai Tea September 7, 2008 at 4:56 pm

Christina…You were one of the fortunate ones that received good care in foster care. Not all children are so fortunate. And before you say that you are the rule rather than the exception – EXACTLY. The FLDS children, as a rule, are not abused. Does it happen in their society? Probably. Does that mean all the children of all the families should be imprisoned in foster care? Absolutely not.

I’m glad that at 17, you were able to move on with your life. Are you still in care? You’re still a minor? Where do you live now?

Jeny September 7, 2008 at 5:26 pm

SKK { 09.07.08 at 3:01 pm } Jeny -

I apologize for attributing the wrong post to you and I apologize for any conclusions I drew as a result of my error.
================

Thank you.

Jeny September 7, 2008 at 5:33 pm

83 Christina { 09.07.08 at 4:50 pm } Why are you so determined to believe the FLDS which has shown to hide the truth and lie and not anyone else I for one have lived in foster care when I was 13 until 17 they are not as bad as you think I would chose foster care over what happened to me with my parents any day of the week I to thought they were bad until I saw first hand the difference between outside my parents house compared to what my parents did to me and my brother
========================

http://onlineathens.com/stories/090508/new_328706107.shtml

I’m guessing this little girl would have — if she hadn’t been a defenseless 8 month old, chosen to stay with her God-given parents, Robert Scovil and Evelyn Carter, instead of being redistributed to her State-provided parents, Wendy Osborne and her husband.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for her at all. She’s dead. D-E-A-D.

[It appears that] her State-selected “mother” killed her.

She took her two adopted 3 year olds into the house from the car and took a nap while they played–UNSUPERVISED–and baby Jessica was trapped in her car seat in a swealtering car. When she was finally found 2 hours later, her core body temperature was over 110 F.

Jessica’s God-given parents want the State-selected “mother” charged with her killing.

So do I.

[Other material redacted for copyright concerns]

Jeny September 7, 2008 at 5:42 pm

Jeny { 09.07.08 at 5:33 pm } 83 Christina { 09.07.08 at 4:50 pm } Why are you so determined to believe the FLDS which has shown to hide the truth and lie and not anyone else I for one have lived in foster care when I was 13 until 17 they are not as bad as you think I would chose foster care over what happened to me with my parents any day of the week I to thought they were bad until I saw first hand the difference between outside my parents house compared to what my parents did to me and my brother
========================

I’m guessing this little girl would have chose to stay with her God-given parents, Robert Scovil and Evelyn Carter, instead of being redistributed to her State-provided parents, Wendy Osborne and her husband.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for her at all. She’s dead. D-E-A-D.

Her State-selected “mother” killed her.

She took her two adopted 3 year olds into the house from the car and took a nap while they played–UNSUPERVISED–and baby Jessica was trapped in her car seat in a swealtering car. When she was finally found 2 hours later, her core body temperature was over 110 F.

Jessica’s God-given parents want the State-selected “mother” charged with her killing.

So do I.

==================

http://onlineathens.com/stories/090508/new_328706107.shtml

The birth parents of a 9-month-old Jackson County girl who died of heat stroke Tuesday want her foster mother prosecuted for leaving the little girl locked in a minivan for more than two hours, according to the couple’s attorney.

But friends of foster mother Wendy Osborne came out Thursday in support of the 29-year-old, pointing out that she has fostered several children over the past five years without problems and saying that what happened to the child, Jessica Scovil, was a tragic accident.

Jackson County sheriff’s detectives are waiting to decide whether to charge Osborne, who lives on Georgia Highway 334 near Nicholson, until they receive the results of toxicology tests, said Chief Deputy David Cochran.

An autopsy performed at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Decatur confirmed that Jessica died from heat stroke.

“The next step, I guess, for the parents, is to talk to the district attorney and to ask him to move forward with charges on this case,” said Crandall Heard, attorney for Jessica’s birth parents, Robert Scovil and Evelyn Carter. “That’s all they can do as they work to get through this.”

Deputies and emergency medical personnel were called to the Osborne home Tuesday afternoon, after Wendy Osborne found Jessica unconscious in the minivan.

Osborne told sheriff’s investigators that she came home from a doctor’s appointment shortly before 3 p.m., unloaded two adopted 3-year-old girls from the van and went inside. Once inside, Osborne lay down for a nap while the other two children played. She woke up about 5 p.m., Cochran said, and rushed outside to find Jessica unresponsive in her car seat.

Osborne’s doctor had prescribed medication that may have contributed to her disorientation and drowsiness, Cochran said. She was sick for several days before she went to the doctor, he said.

Some people who know Osborne and her husband see them as dedicated foster parents who consider it their mission to help children, said Edna Stroud, who owns Creative Kids day-care center where Jessica spent some days this summer.

“I have the utmost respect for the Osborne family,” Stroud said. “I remember thinking when I interviewed Mrs. Osborne before Jessica stayed with us that she was really choosey about who was keeping Jessica. She acted more like a parent, really, than a foster parent. She was very patient, and very loving towards the children, you could see they had a passion for what they were doing.”

Scovil and Carter lost custody of Jessica early this year, but were close to regaining guardianship, Heard said.

A custody hearing was scheduled for Sept. 16 in Jackson County Juvenile Court, and Heard expected that Jessica would have been returned to her parents at that time.

“This mom is a good lady,” Heard said. “She’s done everything I have asked her to do to get her child back, and so has the father. I could not have had two people do more to get their child back. … If there had been cooperation on both sides, we could have had this cleared up weeks ago. But we weren’t getting any cooperation, so we were having to go back to court.”

Heard, a public defense attorney serving Barrow, Jackson and Banks counties, would not say why Scovil and Carter lost custody of Jessica, but he did say that it wasn’t related to any type of criminal charges, substance abuse or physical abuse.

“(Division of Family and Children Services officials) were telling my clients that, ‘We don’t think they’re able to take care of their child right now,’ ” Heard said. “Instead of sending her home, they sent her to a home where she eventually died.”

Calls to Robert Scovil’s home were not immediately returned Thursday. Calls to Wendy Osborne’s home went unanswered

Christina September 7, 2008 at 11:00 pm

There is a ton of incidents with birth parents doing the same thing no Chai I am little over 30yrs. old but I remember being in the system and I remember everything that my parents did to me and my brother I know alot of people who have been in the system you dont see very many people who have been in the system on these boards if its so bad Jeny why are they not speaking out Its only the parents yepping about it well from afar I looked like I had perfect parents they where loved by all i can go into there perfection if you want me to

Chai Tea September 8, 2008 at 5:16 am

Christina, I’m glad that your time in the ’system’ was helpful to you…but it is not the same for everyone. There are published statistics that have shown that CPS/foster care is not a shining example of how to safely raise a child.

Yes, there is a time to remove a child from an environment, such as in your case, and I don’t believe that those of us posting as opposed to foster care would deny that that an an alternative available to the well being of a child facing REAL abuse.

What I am vigorously opposed to is a towns-worth of children removed from their loving families on the basis of a lie.

I don’t know how long you have been following this story, so maybe you didn’t see the women and children being herded on buses to be taken from their homes. Mothers who were away from the ranch at the time of the kidnapping were not allowed to join their children.

CPS’s own rules state that the alleged PERPETRATORS are to be removed from the home when possible, not the children/victims. The men of the Ranch offered to leave the ranch so the women and children could stay, but that wasn’t good for CPS. They wanted these beautiful children and they wanted the $$ that would come for their re-sale.

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that CPS did not follow their own rules for removal of the children and therefore the children had to be returned. Walther overstepped her authority by approving the removal.

It is of GREAT concern that a small town in Texas acted without regard to the law and traumatized and abused young children for no other reason than that it doesn’t like the religion the families practice.

This ranch and its inhabitants were committing no acts of terrorism, they were living quietly and peacefully, worshipping in the way they believe (which is a constitutional right), and Texas law enforcement and CPS acted on a KNOWN AT THAT TIME LIE to steal and terrorize these young children, going so far as to separate siblings from each other, and to pull screaming nursing babies from their mother’s arms. For what reason? There was no evidence of physical abuse!

According to the testimony of the Mental Health Workers brought into the holding pens, the abusers of these women and children were CPS workers ~ and they got away with it. As far as I know, no charges have been brought, but I hope and pray that some are!!! The stories that have come out of those days about the treatment of the women and children by the CPS workers is something that should never be allowed to happen again – in Texas or anywhere else in this United States.

And all of it happened even though there was no evidence or act of abuse committed by these parents. No children had broken bones or have been shown to have been sexually abused. This has all been done for religious persecution.

THAT is what I am opposed to. And CPS has been the driving force behind this.

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