SISTER WIVES COULD LEAD TO LEGAL TROUBLE

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Reported by: Kimberly Houk
Last Update: 9:27 pm

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A very unconventional Utah family is thrust into the national spotlight tonight in the premiere of TLC's "Sister Wives". One man is married to four women, and he fathered more than a dozen children. The show follows a polygamist family as they pursue their fourth sister wife. But, polygamy is illegal in America.

Greg Skordas is a local defense attorney who is studying up on the crime of polygamy in the state of Utah.

“If people are flaunting polygamy, a very serious crime in their jurisdiction, they’ll do something about it,” says Skordas.

The Brown family is taking their unconventional family public. I caught up with Kody and his 4 wives on Friday while they were talking about their new reality show, and Kody calls 4 different women his wife.

“I wouldn’t want to be without any one of them,” says Kody Brown.

There is video of what the Brown’s call a spiritual wedding ceremony between Kody and his fourth wife Robyn.

“If they portray a marriage, and the person is already married, then I think that’s evidence the person is committing the crime of polygamy,” says Skordas.

Kody claims to have been married to his first three wives for the past 16 years, and he has children with each of them. Skordas says this will make it easier to prosecute him.

“We normally do recognize common law marriage. Does the couple have children? Do they do things together as husband and wife? After a number of years, the court will recognize a common law marriage,” says Skordas.

And not one of these women or the man they say they are married to is shying away from showing the world how four women can be married to the same man.

“If I was advising this family about this TV show, I would certainly say, don’t flaunt polygamy in this state at this time,” says Skordas.

Skordas believes the Attorney General and the state’s attorney in Utah county is watching this show closely, and probably subpoenaing taped interviews of the adults.

Sister Wives airs on TLC on Sunday’s at 8 pm.