No Contest Plea in Polygamy Case

A man accused of beating his daughter after she ran away from an arranged marriage to his brother pleaded no contest. The plea came during jury selection in the trial of John Daniel Kingston in Logan, Utah. The 17-year-old girl, now living in foster care, says her father whipped her for disobeying David Ortell Kingston, who had made her his 15th wife. Under the plea agreement, the charge was reduced from second-degree to third-degree child abuse, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29. David Ortell Kingston has been charged with incest in the case. He faces a June trial.