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Show Mysterious Appeal Keeps Singers Out of Jail Until April Hearing shortly before press time that, as a result of the strange circumstances circum-stances surrounding the appeal, he has decided to stay the execution of the arrest of the Singers until after April 6. A hearing will be conducted on that day at 9 a.m. in Coalville to determine the authenticity of the document and to see if the Singers knew anything of it. Judge Larson said he wants to make sure of the Singer's intentions regarding an appeal of the case. If the Singers had nothing to do with Monday's appeal, and if they do not wish to appeal in the future, Judge Larson said, "I think we're back to square one and I'll put my previous orders into effect." John Singer said Summit County Sheriff, Ron Robinson, visited the Singer home in Marion Monday with the unidentified appeal in hand to find out if Mr. Singer knew anything about it. Singer said he told Sheriff Robinson he knew nothing about the appeal. "I don't know what to make of this whole thing," Singer told the Record Tuesday afternoon. Judge Larson said he sent John Singer a notice in the mail informing him of the new April 6 hearing. Over four years ago, the Singer parents took their children out of public school in Kamas, primarily for religious reasons and a desire to teach the children themselves. John Singer was excommunicated from the Mormon Church five years ago, but he said he is a firm believer in Mormon scriptures. He was excommunicated, he said, because he did not believe Joseph Fielding Smith was a prophet and revelator. Joseph Fielding Smith was a former President of the Mormon Church. The Singers have been battling with South Summit School District Dist-rict officials, attorneys and judges to keep their children out of, school and to teach them at home without any restrictions. The Singer parents were told if they teach at home, they must allow a tutor to instruct the children, that they must learn from the same books and for the same amount of time as in public school, and psychologists must be allowed to test the educational progress of the children. Mr. Singer said he will not let any of these conditions exist in his home for fear of being made "a slave in my own home." The Record asked Terry Christiansen, Christ-iansen, who is representing the state in the Singer case, what action will be taken next. He said nothing will be done until the puzzle surrounding Monday's Supreme Court appeal can be deciphered. "An appeal is on record," said Christiansen. But the question now is: who appealed it? In a bizarre turn of events, an appeal was filed Monday in Utah Supreme Court for John and Vicki Singer by an unknown party, resulting in a delay of expected attempts to arrest them this week. According to state supreme court clerk, Jeff Butler, a man entered the clerk's office Monday and delivered a type-written document to appeal the Singer case to the high court. The man did not say who he was, but simply gave the appeal to a deputy clerk who, after close investigation of the document, determined it was not valid because it was not signed by John and Vicki Singer, nor was it properly certified. The appeal was typed on the back of a music sheet used in school for writing musical notes. After realizing the appeal was not valid, the deputy clerk ran outside the courthouse to inform the man. But he disappeared, according to Jeff Butler. Juvenile Court Judge John Farr Larson, who is presiding over the Singer case, compared the unusual incident to the discovery of the so-called "Mormon Will" of the late Howard Hughes. "It's reminiscent of the Mormon Mor-mon Will," he said. Supreme Court Clerk Butler sent the appeal to juvenile court in Coalville where it was received Tuesday. Meanwhile, John Singer told the Record that he does not know who filed the mysterious appeal. "I didn't file it," Singer said. Mr. Singer said he called his relatives and friends to see if any of them had filed the appeal, but he said no one had written the document. Singer added he still has no intention of appealing the case, in which he was found guilty of child neglect for not sending five of his seven children to school in South SummitSchool District or abiding by court orders to cooperate with South Summit school officials in establishing a home-study educational program for the children. "I haven't got the slightest idea(who issued the appeal)," John Singer told the Record Tuesday. Judge Larson ordered last week at a hearing in Coalville that if John and Vicki Singer did not appeal the case by Tuesday, a bench warrant would be issued for their arrest and the children would be placed under the protection, care and custody of division of family services. The Singer parents would also be fined 200 dollars each. The Singers did not appear at the hearing last week and were held in contempt of court. Judge Larson told the Record |
