Despite initially celebrating the success of having parts of an anti-polygamy law struck down in Utah, the Brown family on TLC's Sister Wives may not be entirely safe from federal prosecution if they return to the state.

Meri Hints Distance From Family?

According to Fox News, the Utah attorney general's office filed an appeal Oct. 9 with the Denver-based 10th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals, after U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups ruled in December that the Browns, who filed the initial suit, were entitled to their cohabitation and marriage arrangements as part of their freedom of religion.

The ruling decriminalized polygamy, though it upheld that bigamy (holding a marriage license with more than one spouse) was still illegal. Like most families practicing polygamy in the state of Utah, the Browns only have one marriage license on file (between Kody and first wife Meri), while his marriages to wives Janelle, Christine and Robyn, are all considered spiritual and are not legally binding.

Meri Reveals 18th Child For Brown Family?

According to the chief of Staff for the Utah Attorney General, the state is appealing the decision to ensure that families where abuse may be occurring can still receive proper punishments.

"The browns don't seem like the kind of situation that causes people too much pause," the staff member, Parker Douglas, said. "But there are other situations where there are multiple spouse arrangements where there is abuse."

The Browns fled Utah when they were threatened with prosecution and have since taken up residence in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their struggle with the decision to leave Utah in order to escape criminal charges became a large part of their show's second season, as they dealt with both their own struggles and the behavioral changes in their children as a result of the move-though the investigation itself was not extensively discussed.

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Sister Wives, TLC, Reality TV