Hearing to consider UEP trustees postponed
 
By Patrice St. Germain
patrices@thespectrum.com
 
ST. GEORGE - A hearing scheduled for July 21 to consider new trustees for the United Effort Plan Trust, the financial arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has been postponed.

Originally, 3rd District Court Judge Constandinos Himonas was to preside over the hearing. However, Himonas recused himself earlier this week after his former law firm - Jones, Waldo, Holbrook and McDonough -agreed to represent several people proposed as trustees.

The case has been reassigned to Judge Denise Lindberg, but Lindberg is unavailable on July 21.

Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, said earlier this week that a delay in the hearing was possible because of Himonas' recusal.

"The idea of another judge having that date conveniently open would have been unexpected," Murphy said. "Hopefully, the hearing will take place within the next month."

As the newly appointed judge, it will be up to Lindberg to decide if more people can petition the courts to become trustees.

Judge Glenn Iwasaki signed an order last month permanently removing six trustees, which included FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, Leroy Jeffs, Winston Blackmore, James Zitting, Truman Barlow and William E. Jessop, also known as William E. Timpson.

Himonas recused himself in a letter to the court when a petition was filed by the law firm of Christensen and Jensen requesting the appointment of former Dixie State College President Robert Huddleston, local certified public accountant Gregory Kemp and Dr. Craig Booth as trustees. The three men are represented by the law firm of Jones, Waldo, Holbrook and McDonough, which once employed Himonas.

The petitioners asking for Huddleston, Kemp and Booth to be appointed trustees are Donald B. Cox, 69, and James M Pipkin, 60, both of Hildale. The petition states that both Cox and Pipkin reside in Hildale in homes they built on UEP land and that Cox also helped buy a large parcel of land in Hildale that is now owned by the UEP. Neither is a member of the FLDS church.

The Utah Attorney General's office is aware of three other petitions proposing trustees.

A "Notice of Interested Parties and Response to Petitions" was filed by Richard Jessop Ream, Thomas Samuel Steed, Don Ronald Fischer, Dean Joseph Barlow, Walter Scott Fischer, Richard Gilbert and Brent Jeffs that proposes Lee Van Dam, Carolyn Jessop, Winston Blackmore, Don Timpson, Rayo S. Johnson, Roger Williams, John Nielsen and Margaret Cook as trustees.

Richard L. Holm, John W. Nielson and Merril T. Stubbs have filed a "Private Beneficiaries Notices of Proposed Trustees" proposing the same trustees, plus Richard L. Holm, George R. Hammon and Merrill J. Harker.

A "Notice of Interested Parties and Response to Petitions" was also filed by Linda Walker, Flora Mae Jessop, Rowenna Erickson and Heidi Miller, under the common affiliation known as Child Protection Project, requesting Pam Black, Laurene Cooke Jessop, Janet Johanson, Flora Mae Jessop, Tracy Barlow, Carl John Holm, Ward H. Jeffs, Linda Binder and Buster Johnson as trustees.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has estimated that the trust may be worth about $100 million.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published July 15, 2005
 
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