There was a seminal moment during the Tom Green trial this past week . It was on Wednesday as Green stood at the courthouse elevator waiting for the doors to open after a morning of testimony. The man accused of nonsupport and bigamy was surrounded by wives, children and a whole bank of media cameras.
He could not help it. He cleared his throat and spoke.
Yes, he would take the stand, he said. Yes, he would tell all.
Which is of course what got him into trouble in the first place.
When you're a polygamist living in 21st century Utah, the last thing you need is a forum, an open mike. If you see Rod Decker coming up the sidewalk, your only thought should be "Run!" Lie low (heavy emphasis on "lie") and hope the authorities leave you alone. That's been the case ever since the negative public reaction to the government's Short Creek raid of 1953.
Tom Green obviously knew that when he went to the west desert years ago and set up camp for his five wives and 29 kids.
But he had a flaw. He couldn't keep quiet. "The Jerry Springer Show" called. "Dateline" called. "Judge Judy" called. And Tom Green could not say no. He kept taking the bait like he took the stand in court — just another fool driving a red Porsche 25 over the speed limit and wondering why he got the ticket.
From the New York Times to the London Times to the CBS Evening News, they're saying the State of Utah v. Tom Green was about polygamy, that it will open up a can of worms for the other 20,000-plus who are practicing illegal plural marriage in the Intermountain West. But that's not right. The State of Utah v. Tom Green was really about a man who could not say no to a camera and a microphone.
Now, his 15 seconds could end up costing Tom Green about 15 years.
What comes after Stone Phillips and "Dateline" is this: a county prosecutor, who happens to be the governor's brother, with a case as tight as the Lakers' offense.
All David Leavitt had to prove to make the charges stick was this: that Green lives with more than one woman and that he was behind on his child-support payments to the state.
State accountants were only too happy to verify that Green is indeed behind on his payments. Way behind.
As for the living with more than one woman part, well, who else were all those females in long dresses sitting outside the courtroom all week long, all of whom, if you caught them off guard, answered to "Mrs. Green?"
Here was an actual exchange that took place this week between prosecutor Leavitt and one of them, Shirley Beagley, after she admitted entering into "eternal marriage" with Tom.
"So you married him for always?"
"Yes."
"And for always includes now?"
"Yes."
The prosecution didn't rest its case right then, although it could have.
After that, it only got worse for Green, climaxed by his taking the stand in his own defense.
His only chance would have been a "jury of his peers" consisting of nine people from Hildale.
Now, it's all over but the appeal and, when Green finally gets home, not just one, but five wives with their hands on their hips, all of them asking in unison, "What were you thinking?!"
Is there a man among us who doesn't feel his pain?
Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.