Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne won a $5.2 million verdict against five defendants who discriminated against Ron and Jinjer Cooke on the basis of their religion. The defendants are: Town of Colorado City, AZ; City of Hildale, UT; Hildale-Colorado City Utilities; Twin City Water Authority, and Twin City Power.
Colorado City is where young girls are kept in polygamous marriages by older men, and boys are kicked out of town so the older men will not have competition.
“The defendants denied the Cookes water, sewer and electric service based on religion,” stated Attorney General Horne. “The Cookes have been without city water service for over five years. The jury also found that the defendants intimidated and interfered with the Cookes’ housing rights. The discrimination was because the Cookes are not members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, headed by Warren Jeffs. Jeffs is serving a life sentence plus 20 years in a Texas prison.”
“Discrimination based on religion will not be tolerated in this state,” said Horne.
The jury also found that the defendants violated the Arizona Fair Housing Act by engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against the Cookes and other non FLDS residents. This finding will enable the state to obtain injunctive and affirmative relief to eradicate the discrimination.
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