The first trial to come out of the Yearning for Zion Ranch raid kicks off this week. Raymond Merril Jessop will stand trial for one count of sexual assault, a first-degree felony, for allegedly having sex with his 16-year-old wife. If convicted, Jessop could serve to up to 20 years. He also faces bigamy charges in a separate trial. This was (and still is) such a fascinating story with so many interesting angles. Though I'll admit I was more obsessed with the pioneer-pompadour hairdos of the FLDS women than almost any other detail, I'm still not sure what I think overall. I'm definitely against child marriage in any form. But I'm not so sure I really care about bigamy. It seems like it would be a horrible headache for both men and women, but I'm not positive it should be a crime. I look forward to hearing your arguments, whether they be for or against. I guess the part that really bothers me is the misogynistic undertones -- why don't any of these religious cults ever have one wife and multiple husbands?
What do you think? Is bigamy a clear-cut crime -- or should it fall under the banner of religious freedom?