| Polygamist leader back in court | |
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By Jim Seckler Mohave Daily News | |
KINGMAN - The leader of a polygamist sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Colorado City made his second court appearance Wednesday still surrounded by heavy police protection. Wearing a bulletproof vest in court, Warren Steed Jeffs, 52, now faces eight felony charges in two 2007 cases involving two underage victims. He is charged with four counts of incest and four counts of sexual conduct with a minor. The first 2007 case charges him with two counts of incest and two counts of sexual conduct with a minor involving an underage girl between May 1 and June 30, 2002, and between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15, 2002. The second case charges him with two counts of incest and two counts of sexual conduct with a minor involving another underage girl on Aug. 31, 2003, and in September 2003. Jeffs allegedly arranged marriages between older men and their teenage relatives. Jeffs' Tucson attorney, Michael Piccarreta, said Wednesday he expects to file numerous motions - including remanding the case back to the grand jury, suppressing evidence and dismissing all criminal charges because of comments made by Mohave County Attorney's Office investigator Gary Engels. Engels reportedly made remarks about the case at a Republican function that hinted of religious intolerance, Piccarreta said. The defense attorney will also file motions to dismiss the charges based on religious freedom as well as a motion to move the case to another county because of the publicity of the case. Superior Court Judge Steven Conn said he does not speak at political functions and hopes that those involved in the case, some who may be running for office, keep any statements about the case to a minimum. Conn also agreed with Piccarreta's upcoming timeline where the prosecution's evidence to the defense is due by April 4 and the defense's evidence is due by May 4. Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith will also have until May 15 to rebut any of the defense's evidence. Conn also set May 5 as the last day to file the motion to remand the case back to the grand jury. The judge also set Jeffs' next hearing for May 19, which may set a trial date. Smith said he expects the trial to take place sometime this fall, unlike other serious cases that can take more than a year to try. Conn also granted Smith's motion to dismiss 2005 charges of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor because the witness will not testify at Jeffs' upcoming trial. The charges allegedly occurred between January and June 2002 in Colorado City. Smith also recently dropped five felony charges in two other 2005 cases, including four counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. Jeffs was convicted last year in St. George, Utah, of two counts of rape as an accomplice and was sentenced in November to 10 years in a Utah prison. He is currently being held in Mohave County without bond. He faces up to three years and nine months in prison for each of the incest charges if he is tried and convicted. For the other charges, he faces a maximum of two years in prison if convicted. Jeffs could also be eligible for probation. | |
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MohaveDailyNews.com Originally published Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | |
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