Ex-police chief loses Ariz. backing
 Violations of bigamy statute alleged by board
 
By Patrice St. Germain
patrices@thespectrum.com
 
Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board members voted unanimously to revoke the certifications of former Colorado City Police Chief Sam Roundy and former officer Vance Barlow at its charging board meeting on Wednesday because of violations of the bigamy statute.

In Utah, Hildale Justice Court Judge Walter Steed, who has been charged with bigamy and recommended for removal from office, has decided to fight his case in the Utah Supreme Court.

Arizona Post executive director Tom Hammarstrom said the outcome of the meeting means the two men already decertified in Utah no longer hold peace officer certification in Arizona.

Post's decision followed in the footsteps of the Utah division of Peace Officers Standards and Training, which revoked certification for the two officers in Utah in March. Barlow was decertified due to bigamy violations while Roundy was decertified for violating the bigamy laws as well as improper handling of a child sex abuse case.

Arizona Post began its consideration of complaints against the two officers - who are no longer employed by the Colorado City Marshall's Office - in April.

"The board found that their conduct violates our rules in several important ways," Hammarstrom said. "One, they can not serve if their certification is revoked in another state and Utah's findings supported that the officers violated the statute of bigamy."

Officers employed by the Colorado City Marshall's Office are certified in both Utah and Arizona since the department services the twin cities of Hildale and Colorado City. The majority of the residents of the two towns, once called Short Creek, is primarily made up of those in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church's prophet, Warren Jeffs, is wanted on several charges, including sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. Jeffs, whose whereabouts are unknown, is also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. A federal arrest warrant was issued on June 27.

Neither Sam Roundy - who resigned from the police force the end of June but stayed on at the Colorado City Council's request until July - nor Vance Barlow attended the hearing.

When reached by telephone, Roundy said, "I am not interested in talking to you" before saying thanks and hanging up. Barlow also said he was not interested in commenting about the hearing.

Hammarstrom said the former peace officers have recourse in the courts, but said it was very uncommon and very unlikely for an appeal to be filed. He also said no other officers working for the Colorado City Marshall's office were under investigation.

"Right now there is no open investigation, but we will initiate one if there are allegations of conduct contrary to the rules," Hammarstrom said. "Based on our information currently, none of the other officers have multiple wives."

Hildale Justice Court Judge Walter Steed, however, is fighting his bigamy case. Earlier this year, the Judicial Conduct Commission concluded that Steed has willfully engaged in bigamy, a third-degree felony in the state, and recommended Steed's removal from office.

Attorney Rodney Parker will argue that case before the Utah Supreme Court next month. Parker is also representing former Colorado City police officer Rodney Holm.

Parker said there is a difference between the Holm and Steed cases in that with Steed, who has three wives, all were adults when the marriages took place.

Parker said in the bigamy statute, there is a term "purport to marry" or "Enter into a marriage relationship recognized by the state" - neither of which Steed did.

Steed legally married one woman and entered into a religious arrangement with the other two.

"It's a religious arrangement. Judge Steed is not purporting to marry (more than one woman)," Parker said. "And the cohabitation problem is unconstitutional. People do it all the time."

Since Steed's Supreme Court case is only a few weeks away, Parker did not want to comment much about the case, but he said he would raise the validity of the bigamy statute.

Meanwhile, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard has asked the Department of Justice to look at the police department as a whole because of the possibility of civil rights violations of the people who live in Colorado City.

"We didn't specify a specific issue," said press Secretary Andrea Esquer. "We left it open to look at all issues.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published October 20, 2005
 
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