| Author |
Message |
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 10:31 am 
It wasn't bigamy since he is not officially married to anyone but Meri. A bigamist will be married to more than one person and normally those people will not know about the other marriage.
Not a bit confusing.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 11:00 am
Thanks Sea! So you are saying that while he had 4 'weddins' he only got 1 marriage licence, for his first wedding to Meri. Ok. Got it. Haven't watched the show from the beginning so don't have all the background info on them. Maybe not so confusing anymore, but still fascinating. And I find them VERY likeable, and extremely brave, and enjoy their honest interactions on this show. I think they deserve every penny they earn for being on this show, since they've opened up their lives so completely for the audience. It doesn't feel as nearly as scripted as so many other 'reality' shows.
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Granjan
Member
05-10-2011
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 11:13 am
I agree, Seamonkey. I always thought, what the heck, he is only married to one person. The others are no different than a couple living together without being married, which is very common. I think the whole thing of possible prosecution was ridiculous. And I also agree that this show is more "reality" than the mostly scripted ones. That said, I would never want to be in that situation, nor would I want any of my children to be. I do enjoy watching it.
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Willwillbee
Member
09-20-2001
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 11:53 am
According to this article, Utah has special laws for polygamy that includes common law cohabitation.
While all states outlaw bigamy, some like Utah ... also ban adults from living together and having a sexual relationship.
The latter provision could include same-sex couples, unmarried heterosexual couples and those, like the Browns, who do not have licenses but have created within their homes a marriage-like relationship.
So it was a real threat to the Browns. The state rarely pursues this statute unless other laws are broken *but* they could have & probably threatened to make special provisions for someone publicly thwarting the law.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/19/sister-wives-challenge-bigamy-law_n_1159120.html
Fewer than a dozen Utah cases have challenged the law – none successfully.
The Utah Supreme Court upheld the law in 2006
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Erniesgirl
Member
06-26-2006
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 12:49 pm
Seamonkey,
according to the chart you posted not one of Christine's kids can walk into a store and buy a little personalized pen, or door plaque or anything. Poor kids.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 1:41 pm
I agree that the law was a threat to the Browns and others, many others. Same with laws that targetted interracial marriage in the not very distant past and sodomy laws still on the books in some states. (Florida, for instance).
The problem with many of the polygamist groups in several states is when they almost openly break laws in terms of paying taxes, getting welfare, etc. But that doesn't seem to be the case here at all.
Bankruptcy is legal, even for polygamists.
So they weren't being charged for actual bigamy but for this other aspect of the law, which really was written so that Utah could become a state.. so they went overboard on polygamy (as I remember it).
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Maris
Member
03-27-2002
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 5:06 pm
So Robyn's husband was a Jessop? I had no idea about that. I also thought she only had one child, I must have missed that on the shows.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 6:12 pm
I think Robyn's son has been more evident.. the little girls sort of blend in with the other little girls.
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Granjan
Member
05-10-2011
| Sunday, June 03, 2012 - 1:13 am
Oooooh! I didn't know about the rest of the law in Utah. That explains it.
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Babyjaxmom
Member
10-20-2002
| Sunday, June 03, 2012 - 7:11 am
I do enjoy watching this family. I like all the women and would be friends with them, but I would not want to be in their marriage. Just too crowded in there! Their kids all seem happy and well-adjusted, though, and that's the most important thing.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Sunday, June 03, 2012 - 9:24 am
BJM, can I cosign your post?  ITA 100%.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, June 03, 2012 - 9:46 am
Same here.. not MY life choice, but fine if they choose it (unlike the FLDS where choices were not made by the women and little girls, or the boys, for that matter). The Browns have spoken out against those situations.
==
As for being a Jessop.. of course there are thousands of them and someone might "become" a Jessop just because their mother was taken by a Jessop along with her children and names changed. It can be very confusing!!
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Sunday, June 03, 2012 - 4:19 pm
I agree w/BJM & Mame 100%
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1jetsfan
Member
07-21-2010
| Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 1:25 pm
agree that they should be able to live as they wish. At least he takes care of all his children; financially and emotionally. There are many men in the US who have many children with many women and are not there for them (and taxpayers are paying for those children)!
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Gldnlvr
Member
08-03-2007
| Thursday, June 07, 2012 - 3:14 pm
I can't imagine Meri having another child at this point in her life. They are really dragging this storyline out.
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Thursday, June 07, 2012 - 5:39 pm
1jetsfan, you sure hit the nail on the head with your comment & I totally agree.
Gldnlvr, I agree that they're dragging the Meri & having another child story out. I could see maybe if she wanted to take Robyn up on her offer to carry a baby for her if she didn't already have a child or if the only child she has is still very young. But, that's not the case. Meri's child is nearly grown. Of course, she could be having "baby fever" with all of those little ones around that aren't really hers & she could be going through pre-empty nest feelings.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Thursday, June 07, 2012 - 5:48 pm
Seeing Meri waiver about whether she wanted to go through babyhood all over again, shows that she still isn't ready to make that lifetime committment having a baby requires.
And if they're uncertain about being able to qualify for 4 mortgages, how would they come up with the money for IVF?
I can't for the life of me figure out why they don't build one very large home with 4 separate "wings" instead of purchasing 4 homes. They keep talking about how good it was when they were together, so why aren't they even considering that?
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Sheilaree
Member
07-19-2002
| Friday, June 08, 2012 - 1:55 pm
I was thinking the same thing Hukdonreality about the big home that would make more sense.
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Jenjackso
Member
02-10-2009
| Monday, June 11, 2012 - 1:17 pm
I have a hard time imagining that there is only one builder building houses in a cul-de-sac. I know they want to stay in the same schools but the area looks undeveloped and there must be builders building more developments.
I thought it was odd how the Valentine's dance was empty except for them.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, June 11, 2012 - 2:52 pm
They want to stay in the same school district for all the schools the kids go to. That could be part of it.
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Willsfan
Member
09-04-2000
| Monday, June 11, 2012 - 9:36 pm
"I thought it was odd how the Valentine's dance was empty except for them."
I just thought maybe they got there extra early so the film crew wouldn't have to worry about taking photos/film of people that didn't want to be shown.
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Gldnlvr
Member
08-03-2007
| Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 8:41 am
The houses they were looking at on the cul-de-sac were HUGE. I also think one large house, similar to what they had in Utah, would be more suitable and much more economical.
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Mamabatsy
Member
08-05-2005
| Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 9:25 am
Why don't they find an eight or ten unit apartment building and use their loans to remodel to suit them.
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 10:23 am
how about just one lg house kinda like the Duggars have. Each wife could have their own corner with their bedroom, their kid's bedrooms, & maybe a little den type area. They could have a huge common area that included only one large kitchen with 4 fridges & maybe a cpl cooking areas, one lg laundry room with mutiple machines, one huge den/living area.
I guess maybe each wife wants more privacy than that though.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:33 pm
I guess they must want more privacy or something, you're right. But I don't get it why they keep referring to how great it was when everyone was together! Make up your minds wives!
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