Judge denies early depositions in sex abuse case involving LDS Church president's family

    by McKenzie Stauffer

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    FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2017, file photo, Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints looks on before the start of the two-day Mormon church conference, in Salt Lake City. President Thomas S. Monson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 16th president of the Mormon church, died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, after nine years in office. He was 90. The next president was not immediately named, but the job is expected to go to next longest-tenured member of the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Nelson, per church protocol. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

    (KUTV) -- A motion to speed up the deposition process in a case involving The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints president's family has been denied.

    The lawyers who are representing six people accusing President Nelson's relatives of sexual abuse wanted early depositions because of Nelson's age.

    The president of The LDS Church is 94 -years-old. District Judge Jill N. Parrish has denied the motion, stating the plaintiff didn't provide enough evidence to support its case.

    Court documents stated the following:

    Plaintiffs’ only basis for requesting expedited discovery is the allegation that both Russell M. Nelson and Craig Smith “are of advanced age.” Without offering any supporting evidence. Plaintiffs offer the conclusory allegation that failure to allow the expedited discovery will risk “irreparable prejudice by a delay.” Again, there is nothing on the record to corroborate these claims. Conclusory allegations are not enough to establish “good cause.” As such, this court has no choice but to DENY Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to take early depositions.

    Nelson's daughter and son-in-law, Richard and Brenda Miles, are accused of running a satanic, ritualistic sex ring in Bountiful during the mid-1980s. The allegations of sexual abuse accuse the couple of holding "touching parties" and sexually abusing kids as young as one-year-old.

    The Utah Supreme Court is currently reviewing the statue of limitations and the case.

    Neither Nelson nor The Church is named as defendants in this 79-page lawsuit filed in federal court.

    A church spokesperson released a statement in response to the suit that said:

    “Protecting and nurturing children is important to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we handle issues of this nature with the utmost seriousness. These allegations of interference or cover up are baseless and offensive. Law enforcement investigated this matter in the 1980s and took no action against the Church or its leaders. We will continue to act responsibly and appropriately in addressing these matters.”

    Read the court document here:

    Motion denied by on Scribd






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