'Sister Wives' Fans React to Possible Polygamy Charges Against Brown Family

Sister Wives fans commented on a recent report that star Kody Brown and his family could face [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Sister Wives fans commented on a recent report that star Kody Brown and his family could face polygamy charges according to legal experts.

According to a report from RadarOnline, the Sister Wives star and his wives could allegedly face jail time for polygamy, with footage from the show acting as potential evidence.

"If they were going to be prosecuted it would have happened already," one fan wrote.

"I hope so, its nasty!" another wrote.

"No person in this photo looks happy - hows that working out for them?" another wrote.

One expert, Monica Lindstrom, told Radar Online she believes Arizona prosecutors could use footage from the TLC show to prosecute Brown.

"If Arizona wanted to arrest and ultimately prosecute those on the show, the footage is strong evidence," Lindstrom told the outlet. "The prosecutor would likely want to use the raw footage in order to combat any defenses of editing by the producers."

Lindstrom, a criminal defense attorney, added, "A picture is worth a thousand words and video is priceless!"

Dwane Cates, a Managing Partner at Dwane Cates Legal Group, said Sister Wives was "like someone having body cam footage," adding, "They are watching someone potentially commit the crime."

When Sister Wives began, Brown was living in Lehi, Utah with his four wives and 18 children. They fled to Las Vegas out of fear of prosecution, while also challenging Utah's criminal polygamy law. In 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Court ruled that the Browns did not have a credible fear of prosecution because Utah prosecutors did not regularly pursue polygamy cases if they did not involve other criminal charges.

Brown is only legally married to his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, and is in "spiritual unions" with his other three wives. He was previously married to his first wife, Meri, but legally divorced her so he could legally marry Robyn and adopt her children from a previous relationship.

However, Lindstrom believes the "spiritual union" term might not save Brown from prosecution in Arizona.

"Polygamy is unlawful in Arizona," Lindstrom explained to Radar. "Arizona's Constitution specifically addresses polygamy and states in Article 20, section 2, 'Polygamous or plural marriages, or polygamous co-habitation, are forever prohibited within this state.' Under Arizona's Constitution, living with one wife and a spiritual wife, or two or three etc., could meet the definition of 'polygamous co-habitation,' which is prohibited."

The Browns' move from Las Vegas to the Flagstaff, Arizona area is the focus of the show's current season.

Sister Wives airs on TLC Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.

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