County wants plan in place to handle crowds at Jeffs trial
 
By Brian DiTullio
Today's News-Herald
 
Mohave County officials want to be prepared should a "media circus" descend on Kingman for a trial involving Warren Jeffs.

Jeffs, spiritual leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the twin communities of Colorado City and Hildale, Utah, would be required to appear in Superior Court in Kingman once he is found. With national media interested in this story, County Supervisor Pete Byers is set to ask the Board of Supervisors to prepare for the possible trial.

"Clerk of Courts Virlynn Tinnel brought it up to me," said Byers in a press release. "What are we going to do if they do catch Jeffs? I have to believe it will be worse than the Michael Jackson trial. He has had so much press worldwide that the area around our courthouse could become a media circus. We may have to bus people in."

Byers said he is putting it on the Board of Supervisors meeting agenda and asking the board to form a committee "consisting of county and city officials, law enforcement and court personnel to prepare for the possibility of this thing happening. We need to begin working on a plan now."

Byers went on to say that even if the trial is moved to another location, the first few hearings would be scheduled to take place in Kingman.

County spokesman Darryle Purcell said any plan would have to involve Kingman because an onslaught of national media, tabloids and activists "could take up quite a chunk of space."

"It's all about being prepared," said Purcell.

There is no dollar figure yet on what increased security in and around the courthouse might cost, but that would be one of the functions of the committee.

However, despite the preparation, it may never be needed as Purcell conceded Jeffs may never be found. Jeffs, 49, has not been seen in public for quite some time. He is listed as 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He has previously been in Texas, Colorado and British Columbia, investigators say.

The FBI has put Jeffs on its most wanted fugitive list for "unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor."

The latter two charges were announced on June 9 and the federal arrest warrant was issued by the U.S. Magistrate Court in Flagstaff on June 27.

The charges stem from a marriage Jeffs allegedly performed that united an underage female with an adult male, County Attorney Matt Smith said at the time the charges were issued.

District Three Supervisor Buster Johnson declined to comment on the agenda item, saying he preferred to wait until he heard the whole discussion at the supervisor's meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the County Complex, 809 E. Beale St. in Kingman.

You may contact the reporter at ditullio@havasunews.com.
 
havasunews.com
Originally published Wednesday, August 31, 2005
 
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