Just 53 children had been waiting at shelters Wednesday morning - by the end of business Tuesday, 397 FLDS children had been released to their parents.

"It's gone pretty smoothly," said Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Department of Family and Protective Services.

But also with some sadness for caretakers who watched over the children for nearly six weeks.

Dan Adams, director of Cal Farley's Boys Ranch in Amarillo, said his staff grew fond of the 72 "intelligent, good-humored" boys who stayed there.

"We've found this to be a good experience for us," Adams said.

A 16-year-old whose release was delayed a day also joined her mother after 51st District Judge Barbara Walther set additional conditions.

The attorney for the girl, who is the daughter of sect leader Warren S. Jeffs and wife Annette, alleged she had been abused and may have a child.

The judge ordered Annette Jeffs to keep her daughter away from her father, as well as a man named Raymond Jessop. She also said the girl may not go to the YFZ Ranch and must stay in Bexar or an adjoining county.

Also released: 26 mothers whose ages the state disputed, leading DFPS to treat them as minors while in custody. Those women were among 31 females the state claimed were underage mothers, a tally that turned out to include one 14-year-old who had never been married or had a child.

Crimmins said once the state compiles address lists of the families it will re-allocate caseworkers to monitor them.

The department will likely scrap the specialized parenting classes it planned to make parents take. The order signed by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther on Monday requires only that they take "standard" classes, he said.

Crimmins also said that the "first use" the department will make of DNA reports is to determine family relationships. Then, it will see if the 599 or so reports "can be used in the [abuse] investigation."

brooke@sltrib.com

Judge drops 4 incest charges against imprisoned prophet

KINGMAN, Ariz. - An Arizona judge has dropped four of eight charges against polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs.

In his ruling filed late Wednesday, Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steven Conn dismissed four incest charges against Jeffs at the request of the defense.

The charges stemmed from the arranged marriage of two girls younger than 18 and their older male relatives, one of whom was in his 50s.

Conn ruled that Arizona's incest law only applies if both participants in the sexual activity are older than 18, and that the law does not apply to half cousins. - The Associated Press

Source: Associated Press