14 DAY TRIAL // Because no less than 2.3 million people tuned in to see the new TLC series, “Sister Wives,” centering on a polygamous family, the Browns are now investigated for felony bigamy.
Even while saying that the risk of going to jail was well worth it when doing the show, the Browns are not just standing idle and waiting for the prosecutors to send them there.
As TMZ informs, the family (centered on Kody Brown, who has 3 wives, 1 fiancé, 13 kids and 3 stepchildren) has lawyered up and aims to demonstrate that prosecuting them would be illegal.
Polygamy is illegal in all the US states and carries a maximum of 5 years in jail as sentence. Nevertheless, cases of actually prosecuting bigamous families are rare, which would make going after the Browns illegal.
“Kody Brown and wives have a powerful new legal force behind them – TMZ has learned... constitutional law guru Jonathan Turley is now representing the ‘Sister Wives’ family in the polygamy investigation, and he’s willing to fight it all the way,” TMZ reports.
According to Turley, prosecutors only go after such cases when other crimes are also involved or suspected, which is definitely not the case with the Browns.
They, on the other hand, are being targeted solely because they’re on television and have garnered international interest since Utah authorities announced they were launching an investigation into their lifestyle.
“Turley points out... although Utah prosecutors have a lot of discretion in deciding when to prosecute someone, people can’t be hauled into the criminal justice system simply because they’ve gone on TV and become high profile,” TMZ says.
“In legalese, it’s called ‘selective prosecution’... and it’s illegal,” the same media outlet points out after speaking with the high-powered attorney.
In other words, prosecuting the Browns for breaking the law in a context in which most cases of this nature are overlooked means breaking the law.
“Turley says his goal is to convince prosecutors to leave the Brown family alone. But he says if his clients are prosecuted, he’ll fight it hard,” TMZ goes on to note.
“Turley would not say outright that he’ll make this a test case and push it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but he made it clear... he will do everything it takes to clear his clients if they’re prosecuted,” the e-zine adds.
As we also informed you the other day, TLC too stands by the Browns – but only in the sense that it will continue to air the reality show even in the eventuality in which they’re charged and sentenced to prison.