Winston Blackmore asks court to quash polygamy charge

A leader of a British Columbia polygamous commune isasking the province's Supreme Court to quash a criminal chargeagainst him.

• Bountiful sect members facepolygamy, child-related charges

Winston Blackmore filed documents on Friday arguing that thepolygamy charge must be thrown out on a legal technicality.

The documents argue that the B.C. attorney general improperlyappointed Peter Wilson, the special prosecutor who laid the chargeagainst Blackmore and three other men.

Blackmore and James Oler became leaders of separate factions inthe community of Bountiful, in the province's Southern Interior,when the religious community split a decade ago.

They were each charged last August.

Blackmore is accused of 24 marriages, while Oler is accused offour marriages and is charged along with two other people withunlawfully removing a child from Canada for sexual purposes.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Blackmore and Oler have previously faced charges of polygamy in2009, but that case was thrown out over how the province chose itsspecial prosecutor.