They live an unconventional life like a huge polygamous family.
And Kody Brown recently returned to his home state, Utah, with his four wives, years after the group fled the state due to strict laws that made polygamy a crime.
In a recent episode of Sisters Wives, Kody, Christine, Janelle, Meri and Robyn were back in town for the first time and reflected on the frightening situation they had to flee into the night after the police started investigating the family.
A large family: Kody Brown recently returned to his home state, Utah with his four wives, years after the group fled the state due to strict laws that made polygamy a crime
Janelle, his second wife, recalled how the family practically had to resume life and leave their life in Lehi, Utah, after making their unique family life public.
“Within days of actually being announced, the police in Utah started investigating us because plural marriage is a crime in Utah,” said Janelle. ‘It was punishable by up to five years on account.’
Kody married Meri almost 30 years ago and, shortly after their union, added a spiritual union with Janelle, followed by Christine. Robyn was the fourth wife added to the family in 2010 and the first wife in almost 16 years.
She admitted that everyone was’ very afraid that they would come and arrest us’, so they left the state ‘in the darkness of the night. We feel as if we have been exiled. ‘
Lucky in love: Kody married Meri almost 30 years ago and, shortly after their union, added a spiritual union with Janelle, followed by Christine. Robyn was the fourth wife added to the family in 2010 and the first wife in almost 16 years; seen in 2010
Wow! Over the years (and the program’s 14 seasons), the family has grown with 18 children and two grandchildren and another on the way; seen in 2018
After moving with the family to Las Vegas, they sued the state of Utah, basically saying, ‘Look, this law is unfair,’ recalled Janelle. ‘We won, so for a year … we were decriminalized. We are no longer criminals. ‘
Over the years (and the show’s 14 seasons), the family has grown with 18 children and two grandchildren and another on the way.
‘The state of Utah appealed our action that we had won. They annulled it and then doubled it with a new law, HB 99, ‘which’ made it a worse crime for polygamists in Utah, ‘said Kody.
“There was a bill presented to the Utah Senate, SB 102. What would happen was a kind of revision of the law that was passed a few years ago,” said Janelle in a confessional. ‘Basically, this means that people like our family, who live law-abiding lives, but only choose to cohabit for religious purposes, are no longer criminals.’
Kody added: ‘What I do in my room with another consenting adult is nobody else’s business. So why do they think they can legislate this? It’s naive. ‘
‘The state of Utah appealed our action that we had won. They annulled it and then doubled it with a new law, HB 99, ‘which’ made it a worse crime for polygamists in Utah, ‘said Kody; seen in 2017
After moving with the family to Las Vegas, they sued the state of Utah, basically saying, ‘Look, this law is unfair,’ recalled Janelle. ‘We won, so for a year … we were decriminalized. We are no longer criminals. ‘
Robyn noted: ‘I think lawmakers think that by decriminalizing this law, it will be free for everyone and that there will be more abuse. And what they are not realizing is that the current law is so strict that it makes them so afraid to declare themselves – and as a mother, she has a daughter who is being abused and is so afraid to go to the police because she is afraid they they will separate your family and take your child away. So your daughter continues to be abused for life, which is insane and horrible. ‘
Before leaving for the trip back to Utah, the group discussed whether they should all drive together, since they are rarely in the same place, but in the end they decided to use a vehicle.
– I think that, for me, the biggest fear of returning to Utah, if we are stopped by a traffic violation, will they use this as an opportunity to attack the criminal polygamy charge? Said Janelle. – Because that’s usually how it works – they take you to do something else and then add. I’m always like, “Don’t talk, Kody, don’t talk.” It is stupid, but it is a real fear. ‘
‘If you can imagine it, it’s like you’re going to a place where your family is illegal. It looks overwhelming. I always worry, ‘said Robyn.
“Polygamy now in Utah is a crime,” said Christine after they arrived in Utah and found the Dargers family. – We are sitting with other criminals. We are criminals like them. They can come in and arrest us all.
“Kody, because he has a legal wife and three plural wives, can go to prison for nine to 15 years,” said Janelle. ‘So your parole involves not seeing your kids, not getting the crime back, so basically if you saw your kids again, then you were violating parole. This took him to the federal system. It’s a big mess. ‘
“Kody, because he has a legal wife and three plural wives, can go to prison for nine to 15 years,” said Janelle. ‘So your parole involves not seeing your kids, not getting the crime back, so basically if you saw your kids again, then you were violating parole. This took him to the federal system. It’s a big mess’ (seen in 2010)