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| Teressa Wall Blackmore is now fighting for custody of her children because of FLDS retaliation for her testimony on behalf of her sister, Elissa Wall, during the Rape as an Accomplice trial of Warren Jeffs. Go here for more information on this terrible situation and how you can help Teressa maintain custody of her children! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trials and Tribulations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jud Burkett / The Spectrum
"Justice is the constant and perpetual wish to render to every one his due."-- Emperor Justinian Warren Jeffs was scheduled to go on trial in St. George, Utah on April 23, 2007, but that trial date was postponed until September 7, 2007. After several days of jury selection, a Washington County jury was finally seated. The jury found Warren Jeffs GUILTY of 2 counts of Rape as an Accomplice on September 25, 2007. He was sentenced to 2 consecutive terms of 5 years to life at the Utah State Prison on November 20, 2007. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Warren was transported to Kingman, Arizona on Tuesday, February 16, 2008 to stand trial for charges brought against him in Mohave County. After that trial, he will likely face federal charges - filed by the FBI - for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Although Warren might not be spending much time at home with the "wives", it looks like he is going to be spending a lot of time with "Lady Justice". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Now the hard part: Prosecute a 'prophet' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opinions The Arizona Republic Originally published August 30, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He was riding in a brand-new red Cadillac Escalade just outside of Las Vegas with a brother, one of his wives and $54,000 in cash. Now he's in jail. Now the word "captured" runs under the pictures of polygamous cult leader Warren Jeffs on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitive list. Now the hard part begins. It isn't going to be easy to prosecute a man seen as a holy prophet by as many as 10,000 people. This man is so revered that former followers say parents give him their daughters for child brides and shun their sons at his decree. Jeffs' followers stuck by him when he was a fugitive. They kept money flowing to fuel his Cadillac lifestyle. Members of his polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints aren't going to line up to testify when he becomes a defendant. That's why it took courage to pursue Jeffs. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith deserve credit for doing what decades of their predecessors did not do. They went after the alleged sex offenders in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs to appear in court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Spectrum Originally published August 30, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warren Steed Jeffs will make an initial appearance on two fugitive warrants out of Utah and Arizona at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the Las Vegas Justice Court courtroom of James Bixler, located on the 7th Floor of the Regional Justice Center at 200 Lewis Avenue in downtown Las Vegas. Jeffs is being held on a no bail hold in the Clark County Detention Center. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs to be tried first in Utah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Spectrum Originally published August 30, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Authorities decided this afternoon that the former fugitive Warren Jeffs will be tried first in Utah. Representatives from the attorneys general offices from Utah and Arizona, as well as local county attorneys met via a conference call to determine who would be the first to put Jeffs on trial. Jeffs — the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which teaches polygamy as part of its doctrine — faces two charges of accomplice to rape, among other charges. Jeffs was arrested late Monday night during a traffic stop on Interstate 15 after being on the run for more than a year. He had been on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list. For more details on this story, see the Thursday print edition of The Spectrum & Daily News. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist leader Jeffs to be prosecuted in Utah first, then Arizona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Wednesday, August 30, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs will be prosecuted in Utah first, the Washington County Attorney's Office said today. After speaking with prosecutors in Mohave County, Ariz., and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah, deputy Washington County Attorney Jerry Jaeger told the Deseret Morning News that his office will proceed with its rape as an accomplice charges against Jeffs. Jeffs is scheduled to appear before a judge in the Las Vegas Township Court Thursday morning to face extradition. He is currently being held in the Clark County Detention Center. "We need to make arrangements to have him transported here safely," Jaeger said. "Once we get him here we'll have our initial appearance probably the next day." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reluctant child bride was warned she'd lose 'salvation' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ann O'Neill CNN Originally published August 31, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (CNN) -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs warned a teenage girl forced into a "spiritual marriage" to submit to sex with her husband or face "losing your salvation," Utah authorities said in an affidavit. The five-page document was filed in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday in support of two charges that Jeffs' practice of arranging marriages between young girls and older men makes him an accomplice to rape. Jeffs, who is believed by his followers to be a prophet, appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom and agreed to return to Utah to face the charges. Conviction carries a penalty of five years to life in prison. Authorities in Arizona also have two counts of sexual conduct with a minor, along with an additional charge of conspiracy pending against the charismatic 50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Utah case will be prosecuted first because it carries the harshest sentence. His maximum penalty in Arizona upon conviction would be six years in prison. The girl, who was between 14 and 18, is identified in the document as Jane Doe. She was assigned a husband after a church leader had a "revelation," but told Jeffs she felt she was too young to marry, the affidavit states. Jeffs responded that it was her spiritual duty. The marriage ceremony was performed in Las Vegas. Jeffs was captured outside the city on Monday night in a traffic stop, ending two years on the run. A month after the marriage ceremony, the affidavit states, her husband reminded the girl that Jeffs had instructed them to have children to "replenish the earth," and "now was the time." She had sex against her will, according to the document. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| County braces for invasion of media for Jeffs' coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Scott Nowling The Spectrum Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE - Print and electronic media representatives from around the nation and possibly the world will begin descending on Washington County as Warren Jeffs, the infamous leader of a polygamous religious sect, arrives for trial. Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said he and his staff are going in a thousand different directions. Details necessary for handling a high-profile case such as Jeffs' were worked out months ago. Belnap's office, the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the St. George Police Department will all have major roles in the preparation and execution of Jeffs' trial. "We are going to have a Web site where we will post our court filings and press releases," Belnap said. He added that his office would e-mail instructions on how to access the site to any media organization that requests it. "We will also have a regular, scheduled time when we will meet with the media as a group and answer questions," Belnap said. Belnap said Brian Filter has been designated as the public information officer for his office. "We've never had to have a PIO (public information officer) before," Belnap said during an afternoon press conference. "We're working hard to get up to speed." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sequence of Jeffs trials dependent on attorneys, officials say | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Associated Press AZFamily Daily News Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PHOENIX -- Just when polygamous church leader Warren Jeffs will stand trial in Arizona depends largely on the captured polygamist's attorneys. Jeffs faces charges in Kingman stemming from his alleged arrangement of a plural marriage between a 16-year-old girl and a married man. Yesterday, Jeffs agreed in a Las Vegas courtroom to be extradited to Utah to face rape-by-accomplice charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life. Those charges also stem from allegations that he arranged for underage girls to marry older men. Mohave County Attorney Matthew Smith tells The Associated Press that there isn't any timeline on when Jeffs will be brought to Arizona. Smith says it's "very difficult to know if he will be passed back and forth between the two jurisdictions or if he will stay in one jurisdiction until that case is completed." Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard says ideally, Jeffs would face Arizona charges as soon as possible. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Next stop: Utah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs waives extradition rights, invokes right to remain silent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LAS VEGAS — Wearing a blue jumpsuit and shackles, Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, a fugitive from justice for more than a year, made his first court appearance Thursday morning in Las Vegas. Appearing before Judge James M. Bixler at the Las Vegas Justice Court, Jeffs quietly answered the few questions posed to him by the judge and waived his right to extradition. "Go ahead and be extradited," Jeffs said quietly. The whole proceeding took less than two minutes as the tall and thin Jeffs was escorted in and out of the courtroom by two escorts wearing bulletproof vests. Following his brief appearance in court, Jeffs spoke briefly with Gary Engels, an investigator with the Mohave County Attorney’s Office. Engels said Jeffs agreed to speak with him and the two talked about minor stuff, but once Engels got around to talking to him about criminal activities, Jeffs invoked his right to remain silent. Engels, who has been in Colorado City for 22 months, said this was his first face-to-face meeting with Jeffs, although Jeffs knew who Engels was. "He appeared very meek and very gaunt and thin and I asked him about his appearance and he said this is how he always looked," Engels aid. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington County attorney says he's ready to put Jeffs on trial | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attorneys for Arizona, Utah, agree to give Washington County first chance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE - When Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, steps foot in Utah again, he will be put behind bars without bail. Once Jeffs arrives, Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said he will bring him to court within 48 hours for an initial appearance. "We are ready to go to court on these charges," Belnap said. Jeffs, 50, has a court date this morning in Las Vegas for an extradition hearing. He faces charges in Utah and Arizona for allegedly arranging marriages between young girls and older men who are members of the polygamist communities in Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz. where the FLDS church is based. He also faces federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Wednesday, representatives from the attorneys general offices from Utah and Arizona, as well as local county attorneys, met via conference call to determine who would be the first to put Jeffs on trial. A press release from Belnap's office states that the decision to litigate the Utah charges first was largely based on two factors: the gravity of charges faced by Jeffs in Utah and the fact that Utah law allows for a higher bail than Arizona. Belnap sought and was granted a court order on Wednesday by 5th District Court Judge James Shumate ordering Jeffs to be held temporarily without bail. "I really appreciate that the court recognized there is a flight risk," Belnap said. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs Will Be Isolated in Utah Jail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Associated Press KSL-TV Channel 5 Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE, Utah (AP) -- When he is extradited to Utah to face rape charges, the leader of a polygamist sect will await court proceedings isolated in his cell in the Purgatory Correctional Facility -- locked down for 23 hours each day. Warren Jeffs will get just one hour daily for showers, phone calls and exercise, and up to two hours each week for visitors, Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said Thursday. He will be held without bail. The existence will be a far cry from the lavish life to which Jeffs is accustomed. In Hildale, the home base of the 10,000-member Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jeffs lived in a million-dollar mansion behind a 14-foot brick wall. He's also built big homes at church enclaves across the West. When captured by police outside Las Vegas Monday after more than a year on the run, Jeffs was riding in a 2007 Cadillac Escalade worth more than $90,000 and was carrying $54,000 in cash, police said. "He's the richest guy in town. He has more money than anybody there," said Sam Brower, a private investigator who works for attorneys who have filed civil cases against Jeffs. That larger-than-life image was shattered Thursday when Jeffs made his first public appearance in a Las Vegas courtroom. Looking frail and timid, Jeffs spoke almost inaudibly as he agreed to be extradited to Utah to face two counts of rape by accomplice -- charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sending a Polygamist Straight to Purgatory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Howard Berkes National Public Radio Originally broadcast September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NPR.org, September 1, 2006 · The followers of polygamist Warren Jeffs believe he is a prophet who holds the keys to heaven. But when Jeffs is extradited to Utah for trial, he'll be sent to Purgatory. Literally. And if not for a quirk of history, he'd be going straight to Hell. Jeffs will await trial in an isolation cell at the Purgatory Correctional Facility at Purgatory Flats outside St. George, Utah. The red rock cliffs visible from the jail and the flats contain what geologists refer to as Purgatory sandstone. So it seems logical that the name came from the stone. But a call to the Utah Geological Survey produced only more questions. Geologist Craig Morgan surveyed his colleagues and searched databases and found more Purgatorys in the area but no explanations. There's a geologic formation called Little Purgatory near Purgatory Flats, and a Purgatory Cliff that's nowhere near its other namesakes. "I cannot find the origin for Purgatory Flat or Little Purgatory in Utah," Morgan says. "Most likely a mountain man or pioneer had a really bad time there." He suggested checking with a historian. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An easy call | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Aibing Guo Kingman Daily Miner Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KINGMAN - The decision to try Warren Jeffs in Utah rather than Arizona first is pretty much a no-brainer, according to Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith. The logic of the decision is clear. Smith said on Thursday that the decision for Jeffs to go to Utah first was made during a conference call with representatives of the Utah Attorney General's Office, the Arizona Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, the Washington County (Utah) District Attorney's Office and the Mohave County Attorney's Office. Though Jeffs was first indicted in Mohave County, representatives at the meeting decided that prosecutors from Washington County have the chance to hit Jeffs with more stringent release conditions based on their charges, Smith said. "We could (require Jeffs to) post a $700,000 bond in total, but they could request a no bond," Smith said. Smith said he did not know exactly when Jeffs would be transported to Utah, but once Jeffs appears in Utah and has an attorney, he would quickly find out when Jeffs would appear in Arizona. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs' day in court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Deseret Morning News editorial Originally published Saturday, September 2, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs must answer to charges in Utah — two counts of rape by accomplice for allegedly forcing a girl to marry an older man and submit to him sexually. Jeffs' arrest outside Las Vegas marked the end of nearly a year on the run and being placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list last May. Authorities recovered cell phones, several sets of car keys, wigs and some $54,000 in cash, which suggest Jeffs had ample resources to elude authorities for some time to come. Thanks to a resourceful Nevada highway trooper conducting a routine traffic stop, Jeffs can now be brought to justice. The criminal prosecutions in Utah and, eventually, Arizona must be allowed to run their course. The FBI, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and his Arizona counterparts deserve credit for their pursuit of Jeffs and their insistence that he be held to account for his alleged crimes. Outside the criminal justice system, however, some have offered rationalization for Jeffs' alleged conduct. They contend that Jeffs, a leader in the Fundamentalist LDS Church, arranges marriages of underage girls to older men as a part of his religious practice. (The FLDS Church is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns this newspaper.) Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Like it or not, Southern Utah will be in the media spotlight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opinion The Spectrum Originally published September 3, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The streets of St. George are about to get even more crowded. The reason, though, isn't just because of more people moving to what already is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. This time, the extra vehicles will be large television satellite trucks. They will be in town to cover the legal proceedings surrounding the case against Warren Jeffs, the polygamist church leader who authorities apprehended last week on Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas. The influx actually started Thursday, the day that Jeffs waived his extradition rights. The hearing started about 10:30 a.m. By 1 p.m., two satellite trucks already were parked outside the justice building on 200 East. And more will come when Jeffs has his initial appearance in a Washington County courtroom, most likely sometime this week. Some Southern Utahns will ask, "What's the big deal?" After all, we see members of the FLDS church all the time in area stores. But that isn't the case outside of Utah and Northern Arizona. Polygamy is an attention-grabbing topic. Throw in the fact that Jeffs was a prize catch for the FBI, and you have all the makings of a major national story. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warren Jeffs is booked into Purgatory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bookings Washington County Sheriff's Office washeriff.state.ut.us Originally published September 5, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birth Date: 12/03/55 Address : Hildale, UT
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| Announcements | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Washington County Sheriff's Office washeriff.state.ut.us Originally published September 5, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Washington County Sheriff’s Office received custody of inmate Warren Jeffs this morning at approximately 11:00 AM MST. Inmate Jeffs was transported by helicopter to the Purgatory Correctional Facility to face state charges. Inmate Jeffs was cooperative and compliant with the requests made of him by WCSO personnel. Sheriff Kirk Smith will be holding a press conference outside the front doors of the Purgatory Correctional Facility at 3:30 PM MST to answer questions the media may have regarding the Purgatory Correctional Facility and the transport of Warren Jeffs. We will not be in a position to comment specifically on any pending court cases Inmate Jeffs may be facing. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs court appearance Wednesday | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Spectrum Originally published September 5, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE — Warren Jeffs, the polygamist leader who faces charges of arranging marriages between an underage girl and an older man, will have his first court appearance in Washington County at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. It is expected that Jeff's appearance in 5th District Court will take place via closed circuit television from Purgatory Correctional Facility, where he is now housed. Media from across the nation was parked outside of the jail today awaiting Jeffs' arrival. Jeffs, who was arrested last week after being on the run for more than a year, arrived at the jail by helicopter shortly at 12:30 p.m. today. Authorities landed the helicopter behind the building and transported Jeffs into the facility. Rob Tersigni, public information officer for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, would not comment on the transportation of Jeffs from the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, where he has been held since his capture, to Southern Utah, referring all questions to a press conference set for 3:30 p.m. today "Believe me, I don’t want to get in trouble with the sheriff and spoil his thunder," Tersigni told the media throng at the jail. "We’ll let him come and explain it to all of you guys." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs transferred to Utah to face felony sex abuse charges | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Jennifer Dobner The Associated Press Las Vegas Sun Originally published September 5, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE, Utah (AP) - Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was moved to southern Utah from a Las Vegas jail on Tuesday to face felony sex charges involving the arranged marriage of an underage girl and an older man. Jeffs arrived by Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter at the Purgatory Correctional Facility here just after 12:30 p.m. MDT, said Lt. Rob Tersigni of the Washington County sheriff's office. An initial court appearance was expected Wednesday before 5th District Judge James L. Shumate in nearby St. George. The court typically conducts initial appearances via video cameras set up in the jail. A public defender could be appointed for Jeffs then if he has no attorney. Jeffs, 50, is head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a polygamist sect of 10,000 that for a century has made its home in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz. Jeffs is charged in Utah with two felony counts of rape as an accomplice, accused of having arranged a "spiritual marriage" between a teenage girl and an older man. Each of the counts carries a penalty of up to life in prison. The alleged marriage took place some time within the past four years, when the girl was between age of 14 and 18, according to Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap. "Jane Doe," as the girl is referred to in court documents, objected to the marriage but was told by Jeffs that she must she must give herself "mind, body and soul" to her husband, court papers said. Jeffs, who decides which of his followers marry and to whom, told the girl that she would lose her salvation if she did not obey her husband, court papers said. It was not immediately clear Tuesday if Jeffs has hired an attorney. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs moved to Utah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow and Nancy Perkins Deseret Morning News Originally published Tuesday, September 5, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE — Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs is in Purgatory. Literally. The Fundamentalist LDS Church leader was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility this afternoon after being flown from Las Vegas by helicopter. A Department of Public Safety helicopter landed at the Purgatory Jail about 12:30 p.m. today, kicking up a dust cloud. Jeffs was escorted by a pair of Washington County Sheriff's deputies. "Inmate Jeffs was cooperative and compliant with the requests made of him by WCSO personnel," Washington County Sheriff's Lt. Jake Adams said in a statement. Clad in a green-and-white striped uniform, Jeffs smiled meekly in his booking mug shot released by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. His hair is graying slightly. Jeffs is scheduled to appear in St. George's 5th District Court on Wednesday afternoon via video hook-up from the Purgatory Jail. So far, a lawyer has not been named to represent Jeffs. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Will Warren Jeffs Publicity Negatively Affect Utah? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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KCSG News Originally broadcast Tuesday, September 5, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When people hear about southern Utah they think of golf, hiking, and soaking up the sun. But that is about to change as St. George becomes ground zero for the first trial of polygamous leader Warren Jeffs. Now that Warren Jeffs is back in Utah to face charges, it will likely create what is commonly referred to as a media circus. There is no question that the practice of polygamy, though illegal is also very intriguing to the general public. Here is what some people in St. George had to say about the affects of the publicity of Warren Jeffs.
Lena Sullivan/Visits Utah Yearly: "I think it’s good it’ll show the country the negative stuff that’s going on in those two cities like incest and marrying 10 women and whatever." Nany Berick/St. George Resident: "I don’t think it’ll be bad for Utah, maybe the world needs to see what’s going on to young ladies and make people more aware of some injustices."Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs in Purgatory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FLDS leader transferred from Las Vegas jail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 6, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE - Under a veil of secrecy, the Washington County Sheriff's Office transported polygamist leader Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, from the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas to the Purgatory Correctional Facility Tuesday morning. Jeffs was transported by two Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies in a helicopter provided by the Utah Department of Public Safety. The helicopter landed at 12:30 p.m. behind the jail in the exercise area, blocking any view of Jeffs from the media waiting in front of the jail in what Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith is calling "the single most highly publicized event we have seen in Washington County." It's also the first time a prisoner has been transported by helicopter here, and although extra security measures are being taken, Smith said there have been no threats. "When you deal with religious extremists you really don't know what to expect. Our job in law enforcement is worst-case scenario," Smith said following a press conference Tuesday afternoon. "Our whole goal in this thing is to get Mr. Jeffs here, get him through his court proceedings and then on to whatever waits after that, whether it's the Department of Corrections or freedom; whatever the jury decides." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in Utah court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By James Nelson Reuters Originally published September 6, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, who was arrested last week after two years on the run, made his first Utah court appearance on Wednesday by closed-circuit TV and told a judge he understood the charges against him. Jeffs, 50, who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, is accused in Utah of being an accomplice to rape in arranging marriages between underage girls and older men. The courtroom was packed with reporters and onlookers for the brief hearing in which Jeffs appeared via closed-circuit TV from the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, Utah -- not far from the community where his Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) is based. In the St. George courtroom, near the Arizona border, District Judge James Shumate set Jeffs' next court appearance for Monday, followed by a hearing on September 19 to consider whether to grant him bail. Utah law enforcement officials have said they consider Jeffs, who is considered a prophet among his estimated 10,000 FLDS church followers, a flight risk. He was arrested on August 28 following a routine traffic stop just north of Las Vegas and transferred to the Purgatory Correctional Facility on Tuesday. Security surrounding Jeffs has been tight since his arrest. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist's prosecution, defense likely to be complex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Associated Press KVOA News 4 - Tucson Originally published September 6, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE, Utah -- In court Wednesday, polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs said he's shopping for a Utah attorney to defend him against charges of rape as an accomplice for his role in arranging a spiritual marriage between a teenage girl and an older man. What he'll need is someone able and willing to wade through some dicey legal arguments over intent and the idea of marriage, Brigham Young University law professor Marguerite Driessen said. "The theory is that what Warren didn't do himself, he assisted others to do," Driessen said. "He can simply say that he had no idea that (the couple) would actually consummate their marriage." Or prosecutors would have to prove Jeffs intended that a rape occur when he performed the "spiritual marriage" ceremony for the couple, she said. Jeffs, 50, is the leader of the 10,000 member Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a sect based in Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz., which practices polygamy, including some marriages involving underage girls. On the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List since May, Jeffs had been a fugitive for more than a year when he was arrested north of Las Vegas on Aug. 28 in a traffic stop. He was extradited to Utah on Tuesday to face two first-degree felony charges which could net him a life sentence to prison. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warren Jeffs Makes First Utah Court Appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Richard Piatt Reporting KSL-TV Channel 5 Originally broadcast September 6, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamous leader Warren Jeffs faced a Utah judge for the first time, today, since his arrest last week. Police arrested him during a traffic stop in Nevada last week. It was formal. It was brief. It was the first step toward prosecuting Warren Jeffs, and his first Utah court appearance today. Warren Jeffs sat stone-faced and sounded subdued, even as a judge formally read the serious charges against him, two counts of first degree rape as an accomplice. Judge: "Do you understand that, sir?" Jeffs: "Yes." Judge: "Thank you Mr. Jeffs." Jeffs' first Utah court appearance actually took place on a closed circuit hookup between the courthouse and the Purgatory jail. Still, there was a heavy police presence outside the 5th District court in Saint George. Craig Harding, St. George Police Dept.: "What we want to do is identify anything unusual going on around the courthouse, any unusual people." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs appears via video in Utah court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He asks judge for a week to find a lawyer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow and Nancy Perkins Deseret Morning News Originally published Thursday, September 7, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Looking thin and pale, captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs made his first court appearance here in 5th District Court, finally facing charges of rape as an accomplice. Appearing Wednesday via video hookup from the Purgatory Jail, Jeffs sat silent through most of the hearing, blinking at the camera. "Mr. Jeffs, can you hear me OK, sir?" Judge James L. Shumate asked. "Yes," Jeffs said, softly. As the judge read the charges and possible punishments, Jeffs looked down at the copy in his hands, following along. Shumate asked Jeffs if he had an attorney. "I have a Nevada attorney helping me find Utah counsel. I ask for a week to do that," Jeffs replied. As the six-minute hearing concluded, Jeffs leaned forward to the camera trying to speak but was cut off by the judge. Shumate set a status conference for Monday, where he will be updated on whether Jeffs has a lawyer, address the preliminary hearing and bail issues. Jeffs is being held without bail. Jeffs said his lawyer suggested he request a delay for the preliminary hearing. But Shumate was reluctant to postpone the hearing set for Sept. 19. Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said his office is "prepared to go forward with our case" against Jeffs. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Order in the court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amid tight security, Jeffs makes first court appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 7, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE - Dressed in a green and white jumpsuit, Warren Steed Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, made his first appearance in 5th District Court Wednesday afternoon. Appearing via a closed circuit television link, Jeffs appeared to have circles under his eyes. Although Jeffs' initial appearance was by video, security inside and outside the courthouse was extremely high. Snipers sat on the roof of the police station diagonally across from the courthouse and members of the SWAT team surrounded the facility. Inside the courtroom, mostly filled with media, were six bailiffs. Judge James L. Shumate asked Jeffs if he had a copy of the charges against him and if his name and date of birth on the documents were correct. Jeffs quietly replied "Yes," after each question. Shumate read the charges against Jeffs - two different counts of rape as an accomplice - and told him the penalty for each count is not less than five years in jail and not more than life. He also told Jeffs that each charge carries a fine of $18,525 and possible restitution. The judge then asked Jeffs if he had an attorney. The leader of the polygamous FLDS church answered that he has an attorney who is helping him find Utah counsel. By law, a preliminary hearing must be held within 10 days of the initial appearance unless waived by the defendant and counsel. Shumate set the date for Sept. 19 at 8:30 for the preliminary hearing and, simultaneously, a bail hearing and explained to Jeffs that he is currently being held on a no-bail status. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Media circus descends on St. George for Jeffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Laura Duncan The Spectrum Originally published September 7, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE - Washington County has become a stage for the national media as the Warren Jeffs legal battle begins. Satellite trucks from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Arizona and Colorado, as well as national media outlets such as CNN and Fox News, set up camp Wednesday in the courthouse parking lot on 220 N. 200 East. Competitive crews established territories, and anchors gripped their microphones, hoping to learn more about what will happen now that Jeffs is facing justice. The frenzy posed a possible challenge for St. George police, but Sgt. Craig Harding of St. George Police Department said the department knew how to handle the situation. He said that despite the massive crowd, authorities were not expecting any trouble, but the department would be remiss if it did not take the proper precautions to ensure everyone's safety. "We have to plan for the worst-case scenario," Harding said. Lt. Jake Adams of the Washington County Sheriff's Office had similar sentiments, saying security was increased to a "heightened" level. Though he said he could not disclose specific numbers, Harding confirmed that a Special Weapons and Tactics team was present "in a number of areas." In some cases, the SWAT officers made their presence clear, peering over some rooftops and perched on nearby hillsides. Harding added that in addition to the more covert SWAT members, there were officers on the ground in full uniform with visible weapons. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prosecutor: Polygamist likely to stay in jail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From Gary Tuchman CNN Originally published September 7, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Federal authorities are prepared to file charges against polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs if a judge grants bond, a Utah prosecutor said Wednesday. Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said he would oppose bond, but wasn't worried about the former fugitive going free before he is tried on two counts of being an accomplice to rape. Belnap disclosed the plan to keep Jeffs behind bars after the sect leader's first court appearance on charges stemming from his practice of arranging "spiritual marriages" between young girls and older men. Pale, gaunt and dressed in green jail scrubs, Jeffs appeared via closed-circuit television from the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, Utah. The 50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told Judge James Shumate he has a Nevada attorney, Richard Wright, but also wants a Utah lawyer. Jeffs returns to court on September 11 to advise the judge on how his search for a lawyer is going. The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing on September 19. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Watch Warren in court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Spectrum Originally published September 7, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ST GEORGE — What happened yesterday in 5th District Court when polygamist leader Warren Jeffs made his initial appearance?
Click to view the video of the court proceedings. Jeffs faces charges of arranging a marriage between an underage girl and an older man in Utah and similar charges in Arizona. See Warren's Purgatory mug shot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A chance for the wives to rebel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And a fear that their prophet may become a martyr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Economist - London, England Originally published September 7, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SO WILL there in future be fewer pictures of smiling American patriarchs with their half-dozen pretty young wives? That is possible, but far from certain, now that Warren Jeffs, the leader and "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the largest polygamist sect in North America, is in jail facing trial in Utah. Mr Jeffs has been on the run for more than a year after being charged in both Arizona and Utah, and was recently put on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. He was arrested north of Las Vegas on August 28th on a traffic violation, from where he was sent to Utah. Utah has a stronger case against him than Arizona; he has been indicted there for the first-degree felony of being an accomplice to rape in connection with the arranged marriage of an under-age girl to an older man. Mr Jeffs has ruled the FLDS from Colorado City and Hildale, two tiny towns on the borders of Arizona and Utah, since his father Rulon died aged 98 in 2002. The sect broke away from the Mormon church more than a century ago when the mainstream church renounced polygamy. It is believed to have more than 10,000 members, mainly in Arizona and Utah, but also a growing number in Texas, Florida and, for some reason, British Columbia. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs lawyer-shopping | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Friday, September 8, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE — Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs may soon have a new lawyer. Jeffs met Thursday with Las Vegas attorney Richard Wright and another lawyer, whom jail authorities refused to identify. Washington County sheriff's deputies also declined to release Purgatory Jail visitor logs, showing who has visited Jeffs. Wright did not return calls seeking comment. Several prominent criminal defense lawyers from Salt Lake City have been contacted about representing Jeffs, the Deseret Morning News has learned. Some declined to comment about whether they would represent the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader. No formal notice of counsel has been filed in St. George's 5th District Court, clerks said. Jeffs is facing rape-as-an-accomplice charges, accusing him of forcing a teenage girl into a polygamous marriage with an older man. He faces up to life in prison, if convicted. Jeffs remains in isolation at the Purgatory Jail. The Washington County sheriff told the Deseret Morning News on Thursday that Jeffs has been quietly reading books while incarcerated. "He's quiet. Mellow," Sheriff Kirk Smith said. "I have no reason to expect that he'll be anything other than a model prisoner." Some ex-FLDS members have expressed anger that Jeffs is being seen as a sympathetic character because he looks so frail and meek in his court appearances. "That smirk he had — that was the smirk he would give before he damned you straight to hell," said one woman, who asked to remain anonymous because of family still within the FLDS Church. "He's not weak and calm and meek and mild. He's plotting, he's evil, and I have no sympathy for him." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Las Vegas lawyer for Warren Jeffs more 'substance' than 'style' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ken Ritter The Associated Press Las Vegas Sun Originally published September 8, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LAS VEGAS (AP) - When Warren Jeffs' brother went looking for a lawyer following the polygamist religious leader's arrest in southern Nevada, he turned to Richard Wright. "He's the top gun in town right now," said Charles Kelly, a Las Vegas lawyer and longtime friend. "He's all substance and no style." Wright, 59, a folksy former federal prosecutor, only smiled and thrust his square jaw forward as he led Jeffs' brother, Nephi Jeffs, past a reporter this week following a meeting in his office. Nephi Jeffs said nothing, and Wright politely declined to answer questions about representing the 50-year-old leader of the Utah and Arizona-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His client doesn't like publicity, he said. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion is no defense for polygamy, experts say | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Harriet Ryan Court TV Originally published September 8, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (COURT TV) -- When he appeared before a Utah judge via a video link from the county jail this week, the polygamist "Prophet" Warren Jeffs took the first step toward what could be among the most closely followed trials in state history. What the sect leader's defense strategy will be, however, fascinates legal experts, as well as those who study Jeffs' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Although polygamists in the past have attempted religious liberty defenses, albeit unsuccessfully, a ruling this spring by the state's highest court precludes Jeffs from trying the same. More traditional approaches, ranging from an insanity plea to attacks on the credibility of the star witness, seem unlikely, given the polygamous teachings of the FLDS and Jeffs' role as the church's all-powerful spiritual leader. "He has to consider whether his first priority is trying to defeat the charges and avoid conviction at whatever cost, or whether his priority is to maintain his standing in his religious community, recognizing that it may entail some criminal responsibility," said Ken Driggs, a public defender in Atlanta who has written widely about the intersection between fundamentalist polygamous groups and the law. Jeffs, 50, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice. A former church member says he "spiritually married" her to an older man when she was a minor and then ordered her to submit to sex with the man or face eternal damnation. If convicted, Jeffs faces five years to life in prison. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vegas Lawyer Trying To Recruit Attorney For Jeffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Associated Press KUTV Channel 2 Originally broadcast September 8, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A Las Vegas lawyer is in southern Utah trying to recruit a local attorney to represent polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. Jeffs is the 50-year-old leader of the Utah and Arizona-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He's in jail in Utah following his arrest 10 days ago in southern Nevada. He faces felony rape as an accomplice charges that carry the possibility of life in prison. So far, Las Vegas lawyer Richard Wright has been the only lawyer for Jeffs - who was on the FBI Most Wanted list before his arrest late August 28th during a traffic stop outside Las Vegas. Wright's considered one of the best defense lawyers in southern Nevada. But he's not licensed to practice in Utah state courts. He's expected to try to get a lawyer before a court hearing scheduled Monday in Saint George, Utah. A judge has said he wants to know by then if Jeffs has a Utah lawyer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Sacred' papers of Jeffs sought | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Saturday, September 9, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Papers seized inside the SUV in which polygamist leader Warren Jeffs was riding when captured in Nevada should be returned to the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader because they are protected by his right to freedom of religion, his attorney says. The papers, deemed to be "sacred," also constitute privileged communication between the "spiritual leader" and his followers, attorney Richard Wright said in court papers obtained by the Deseret Morning News. "These records include confidential religious writings and teachings of the FLDS, as well as privileged communications with FLDS members," Wright wrote in an emergency motion filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. He says the papers, computers and recording devices found in the vehicle Jeffs was stopped in are protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Claiming clergy-communicant privilege, Wright asked the judge to privately review the documents before unsealing search warrant returns to keep the information from being made public. A hearing scheduled for Thursday in federal court was abruptly canceled, but authorities would not say why. "No comment," U.S. Attorney for Utah spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch said about the emergency motion. Wright has not returned calls seeking comment. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs to appear in court today | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 11, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE - Warren Jeffs will make his second court appearance in 5th District Court today for a status conference. Jeffs has been incarcerated at the Purgatory Correctional Facility since Tuesday and so far, except for heightened security, it's been business as usual at Purgatory, said Lt. Jake Adams, of the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Adams declined to comment on whether Jeffs had made any special requests, but did say Jeffs has not complained about his living conditions or reported any threats received from other inmates. On Friday, Jeffs spent several hours with Las Vegas attorney Richard A. Wright. Wright said he is not licensed to practice in Utah and Jeffs indicated last week during his initial appearance that he had asked for Wright's assistance in obtaining an attorney in Utah. Wright declined to answer several questions but did say his client was "doing very good." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah polygamist hires new lawyers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Jennifer Dobner The Associated Press Las Vegas Sun Originally published September 11, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) - The legal team hired to defend polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs against allegations he arranged a "spiritual marriage" that led to the rape of an underage girl are considered bright and creative, according to prosecutors and defense attorneys who've worked with the pair. Salt Lake City attorneys Walter F. Bugden Jr. and Tara L. Isaacson were hired by Jeffs sometime over the weekend and filed a notice Monday with the 5th District Court here. "They're smart, they're a sharp legal team," Salt Lake City defense attorney Greg Skordas said. Jeffs, 50, is facing two felony counts of rape as an accomplice, accused of arranging a spiritual marriage between an underage girl and an older man. Each count carries a penalty of five years to life in prison. Court documents filed by Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap do not identify the girl or her husband, but indicate she fought the marriage despite being directed by Jeffs to give herself "mind, body and soul, to your husband like you're supposed to." A preliminary hearing for Warren Jeffs was postponed Monday at the request of Isaacson, who spoke to Judge James L. Shumate by telephone prior to the 8:30 a.m. hearing. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs Makes Another Utah Court Appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Edward Lawrence, Reporter KLAS TV Channel 8 - Las Vegas Originally broadcast September 11, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs made his second appearance in Utah courtroom. Again the appearance was via video conference. Jeffs was arrested two weeks near Las Vegas. The Fundamentalist LDS church leader is charged with rape as an accomplice stemming from an arranged spiritual marriage Jeffs performed between an underage girl and an older man. Warren Jeffs appeared more comfortable and sure of himself during his second appearance before Judge James Shumate. The Washington County court judge wanted to make sure Jeffs had an attorney before the court process continued with the next hearing. "Mr. Jeffs is that alright if we have a review of your case on the 27th of September at 8:30 in the morning sir," asked the judge. After his arrest in the Las Vegas area, Jeffs contacted Las Vegas attorney Richard Wright for his extradition hearing at the end of August. Wright found Salt Lake lawyers Walter Bugden and Tara Isaacson. They could not be in St. George today and asked for a delay. The judge agreed. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs hires 2 attorneys | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And judge postpones his preliminary hearing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow and Nancy Perkins Deseret Morning News Originally published Tuesday, September 12, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs now has a pair of high-profile criminal defense lawyers and a postponed preliminary hearing. During a brief court appearance here, Judge James Shumate announced that Salt Lake City-based attorneys Wally Bugden and Tara Isaacson had been hired to represent Jeffs. Isaacson notified the judge just 15 minutes before the hearing. "Is that your understanding, sir?" Shumate asked Jeffs. "Yes. She and Wally Bugden both," he replied. The Fundamentalist LDS Church leader appeared in court via closed circuit TV, sitting alone at a table inside a hearing room at the Purgatory Jail, about 17 miles from the 5th District courthouse. The new defense attorneys requested that a Sept. 19 preliminary hearing be postponed. Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said the continuance was by "mutual agreement." Shumate asked Jeffs if he agreed to the delay. "Yes, if that gives the attorneys enough time," Jeffs said. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prosecutor champions 'the people' against a giant foe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MOHAVE COUNTY NEWS RELEASE (928) 753-0729 Originally published Friday, September 15, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KINGMAN - Like David vs. Goliath, Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith has taken good aim at bringing down Warren Jeffs and others for abuse of underage girls in Colorado City. "We are very pleased that Jeffs (prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is presently in custody in Utah and beginning his rendezvous with justice," Smith said Friday, Sept. 15. "I was recently contacted by a law firm out of Phoenix which will likely represent him when he gets to Mohave County." Smith said his primary focus at this time is the issue of underage "marriages" in the Colorado City area. This is a big job for his small department, he said. "My chief deputy is also working hard on strategy for these cases," he said. "Our latest attorney hire is doing a lot of legal research for us and, although we are prosecuting other defendants from Colorado City, we are preparing for Mr. Jeffs. He has an attorney out of Las Vegas representing him in Utah and, with this large firm out of Phoenix preparing to represent him here, we expect to be papered to death. They will be able to bring tremendous resources against our rural county, placing an incredible burden on our office to keep up with them." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs can wear civilian clothes in court appearances | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Also, lawyer added to his defense team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Tuesday, September 26, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs will appear in court Wednesday with a sort of "dream team" of criminal defense lawyers and wearing something a little more appropriate for a man considered by thousands to be a "prophet of God." In a series of court papers filed late Friday in St. George's 5th District Court, lawyers for Jeffs asked that the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader be allowed to wear civilian clothes in all of his court appearances. Defense lawyer Tara Isaacson said that Jeffs' jail uniform could hurt his chances for a fair trial in Washington County. "Defense counsel has concern about how these images of Mr. Jeffs will negatively influence the potential jury pool in this case and interfere with his ability to have a fair trial," she wrote in a motion obtained by the Deseret Morning News. If he goes to trial, Jeffs has a right to wear civilian clothes. But his right to make court appearances in anything other than a jail uniform isn't so clear. "The potential for prejudice in this case arises from the amount of media attention surrounding the trial, and the Defendant's concern is that pretrial images of him in jail attire will prejudice potential jurors and thus, ultimately, the jury," Isaacson wrote. To back up her claim, she attached clippings of the Deseret Morning News and other newspapers showing Jeffs' last court hearing where he appeared via closed-circuit TV from the Purgatory Jail. In the clippings, Jeffs is shown wearing green-and-white jail stripes. The judge signed an order allowing Jeffs to be transported to the 5th District Courthouse on Wednesday and to be wearing civilian clothing. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah county no stranger to cases involving polygamist sect | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Associated Press KVOA News 4 - Tucson Originally published September 26, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HURRICANE, Utah -- A polygamist sect leader whose followers revere him as a prophet will make his first appearance in a Utah courtroom Wednesday to set a timetable for his criminal case. The setting is conservative, fast-growing Washington County, where Warren Jeffs' church and some of its members have had previous clashes with the law. Can Jeffs, accused of arranging marriages involving minors, get a fair-minded jury if the case goes to trial in the weeks ahead? "There's a real skepticism brought to bear on their claims," said Rod Parker, who has defended members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a sect that practices polygamy in marriages determined by its leaders. "It's very subtle, but it's there," Parker said. Jeffs, 50, is facing two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice. Affidavits filed in the case say he forced a girl under age 18 to marry an older man and submit "mind, body and soul to your husband." He was on the run for nearly two years before being arrested in August during a traffic stop in Las Vegas. The purpose of the hearing Wednesday is to set a schedule, including dates for a preliminary hearing and possible trial. Judge James Shumate also might discuss revoking Jeffs' bail while the case moves through court. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Court security is tightened anticipating Jeffs hearing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Wednesday, September 27, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Under intense security, polygamist leader Warren Jeffs will appear this morning in 5th District Court here. The Fundamentalist LDS Church leader will be transported under guard from his cell in the Purgatory Jail about 10 miles away. At the courthouse, police said it would deploy its SWAT team to provide security outside. At previous hearings, sharp-shooters have been spotted on building rooftops and in the red-rock hills nearby — even though Jeffs appeared via closed circuit TV from jail. "We don't know what supporters or dissidents are out there who are going to take action," Sgt. Craig Harding said Tuesday. "We're looking at the worst case scenario, preparing for everything to happen and hoping nothing does." Jeffs will make a brief appearance before a judge expected to schedule a preliminary and a bail hearing. Alongside Jeffs will be his three lawyers, high-profile criminal defenders Wally Bugden, Tara Isaacson and Richard Wright. Jeffs, 50, was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list until he was arrested in a traffic stop outside Las Vegas last month. He is charged in Washington County with two counts of rape as an accomplice, a first-degree felony. Jeffs is accused of forcing a teenage girl into a polygamous marriage with an older man. When she objected to the union, Jeffs allegedly threatened her "salvation." Washington County prosecutors have not ruled out more charges against Jeffs. "That is under consideration," deputy Washington County Attorney Brian Filter told the Deseret Morning News on Tuesday. "The investigation is ongoing." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs to appear in court today | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 27, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE - Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs is back in court this morning for a scheduling conference to set a preliminary hearing and possibly a bail hearing. Appearances of this kind are normally put on the calendar during the law and motion section of court, but Jeffs, 50, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has warranted his own time slot at 8:30 a.m. Washington County Deputy Attorney Brian Filter said the state is ready to proceed on both the preliminary hearing and bail hearing on the two charges against Jeffs for rape as an accomplice - both first-degree felonies - for allegedly arranging a marriage between an underage girl and an older man. It will be the first time Jeffs, who has had two video conference hearings in 5th District Court since his arrest outside of Las Vegas, will actually be in a Utah court. He appeared for a brief hearing in Las Vegas to waive extradition to Utah after his arrest. Jeffs, who is also facing charges of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor and sexual conduct with a minor in Mohave County, Ariz., faces five years to life for each of the Utah charges. Filter said he had no idea when the preliminary hearing would be set and it is possible, depending on when Jeffs' defense team is ready to go to court, he could be taken to Mohave County to face charges there. "It is possible Mr. Jeffs may go to Mohave County. That's up to the Arizona authorities and I have not heard from them," Filter said. "Frankly, I think they would be looking at that after this is scheduled." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs' attorneys don't ask for bail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preliminary hearing set for Nov. 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Spectrum Originally published September 27, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Attorneys for polygamist leader Warren Jeffs did not ask a Washington County judge for bail when Jeffs appeared in court this morning. During a press conference following the short hearing, Washington County Deputy Attorney Brian Filter said Jeffs will be back in court for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 21. Filter said the alleged victim in this case, which led to Jeffs being charged with two charges of rape as an accomplice, will testify during the preliminary hearing. Security remained high as Jeffs was surrounded by sheriff's deputies while he sat in the courtroom, dressed in a dark suit and white tie. For more on this and other breaking news, please check this Web site throughout the day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs in jail until November | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FLDS leader waives right to have hearing within 30 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Thursday, September 28, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs said he is willing to remain in jail until his preliminary hearing in November. During a brief scheduling hearing here in 5th District Court on Wednesday, Judge James L. Shumate asked Jeffs if he waived his right to have a hearing within 30 days. "Is it all right with you?" Shumate asked. "Yes," Jeffs said softly, nodding his head in agreement. Appearing in person, Jeffs was brought in under heavy security. The Fundamentalist LDS Church leader wore a crisp black suit, a starch-white dress shirt and a white tie. Underneath, a bullet-proof vest was faintly visible. Jeffs was flanked by his defense lawyers. There were so many of them, the judge had to ask deputies to move to accommodate them. "Mr. Bailiff, would you step over just to the side of Mr. Jeffs there so Mr. Bugden can have a spot?" Shumate asked, waving a Washington County sheriff's deputy over. Jeffs was surrounded by deputies. Outside the courtroom, deputies carrying assault rifles were standing guard. The St. George Police Department deployed its SWAT team outside the courthouse. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs makes first court appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attorney says Jeffs sees case as one of religious persecution | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Patrice St. Germain The Spectrum Originally published September 28, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE - Warren Jeffs' attorney Walter Bugden said outside 5th District Court on Wednesday morning that his client does view the case against him as religious persecution. "Absolutely," Bugden said in response to a question. Bugden, along with his partner Tara Isaacson, Las Vegas attorney Richard Wright and investigator Doug Maack, appeared in court for Jeffs' scheduling conference. The court appearance before Judge James L. Shumate lasted less than five minutes and basically was held to schedule a preliminary hearing - set for one full day on Nov. 21. Court was already in session when Jeffs was brought into the courtroom Wednesday morning. Everyone, including Shumate, was already seated when Jeffs was led into court by several bailiffs. As Jeffs, dressed in a dark suit with white shirt and tie, was escorted in, his defense team all rose, although two members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who were also in the courtroom did not. It was Jeffs' first live court appearance as the previous hearing had been held via closed circuit television and was the first time he appeared in civilian clothes - in answer to a motion filed by his attorneys. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warren Jeffs in Court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Gary Tuchman - CNN WFMZ-TV News 69 - Allentown, Pennsylvania Originally broadcast September 28, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For a man who calls himself a "prophet of god," Warren Jeffs looked just like an average guy in court. The polygamist leader turned fugitive turned prisoner appeared before a Utah judge yesterday. Gary Tuchman has more on his hearing.
WARREN JEFFS WAS USHERED INTO COURT UNDER THE GRAINY EYE OF A COURT OPERATED CLOSED CIRCUIT CAMERA. THE NEWS MEDIA'S STILL CAMERA WAS CLEARER AND SHOWS THE FORMER FUGITIVE SURROUNDED BY ELABORATE SECURITY, THE JUDGE INFORMED THE LEADER OF THE FUNDAMENTALIST LATTER DAY SAINTS CHURCH THAT THE STATE WILL HAVE TO PROVE THAT IT HAS PROBABLE CAUSE TO CONTINUE HOLDING HIM. HE ASKED JEFFS IF HE UNDERSTOOD. Yes. All right, thank you sir. JEFFS IS NOT CHARGED WITH BEING A POLYGAMIST LEADER. HE IS CHARGED WITH ARRANGING MARRIAGES TO GIRLS WHO WERE STILL LEGALLY CHILDREN, PART OF WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY WERE YEARS OF MANIPULATING AND EXPLOITING GIRLS IN THE NAME OF GOD. AND ONE OF THOSE GIRLS, WHO'S BEING CALLED JANE DOE, IS SCHEDULED TO TESTIFY AT THAT PROBABLE CAUSE HEARING. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New charge filed against Jeffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Thursday, September 28, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has been served with more criminal charges today. Washington County prosecutors filed a fugitive complaint against Jeffs this afternoon, in connection with the sex crimes charges the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader is facing in Kingman, Ariz. "It just has to do with returning him to the state of Arizona and whether he's going to fight extradition or not," deputy Washington County Attorney Brian Filter told the Deseret Morning News. Jeffs was expected to make an appearance on the fugitive complaint this afternoon via closed circuit TV from the Purgatory Jail. The two page complaint states that "On or about the 26th day of September, 2006, the Washington County Sheriff's Office was advised that the Mohave County, Arizona, Sheriff's Office held a valid felony warrant" for the arrest of Jeffs. The Mohave County Attorney has charged Jeffs with sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor, class 6 felonies in Arizona. Prosecutors there have said they would likely wait until Utah finished prosecuting Jeffs before proceeding with their case. The FLDS leader was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list until he was arrested during a traffic stop outside Las Vegas last month. Jeffs, 50, is charged in St. George's 5th District Court with two counts of rape as an accomplice, a first-degree felony. He is accused of forcing a teenage girl into a polygamous marriage with an older man. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. Jeffs is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing on Nov. 21. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist sect leader told of Arizona warrant for his arrest | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Associated Press Mohave Daily News Originally published Thursday, September 28, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Arizona served notice Thursday that it wants polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs on charges related to arranging marriages of underage girls to older men. Jeffs is being prosecuted on similar charges in Utah, after which he'll be sent to Arizona. Jeffs, appearing by video link from a southern Utah jail, waived a reading of the Arizona arrest warrant and told a Utah judge his lawyers would handle it, court officials said. The judge set a hearing for Oct. 25 for Jeffs, 50, to decide whether he will fight extradition to Arizona after the Utah case is resolved. In Arizona, Jeffs, who heads the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, faces six charges of performing the marriages of three minors to older men, Mohave County chief deputy attorney Jace Zack said. The men, Randolph J. Barlow, 33, Terry D. Barlow, 25, and Rodney H. Holm, 40, also face felony sex offenses tied to the marriages. Each already had at least one wife, Zack said. Authorities in both states agreed to let Utah take Jeffs first because the case is considered stronger and the penalties more severe. Jeffs faces two rape-by-accomplice charges in Utah, where he's accused of forcing another underaged girl to marry an older man over her objections. Each count carries a penalty of five years to life in prison. Jeffs presided over 10,000 followers in the border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Old tenet behind rape charge against Jeffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Paul Foy The Associated Press The Arizona Republic Originally published October 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SALT LAKE CITY - The charge against polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs - rape by accomplice - is based on the same legal principle that makes getaway drivers culpable for bank robbery, legal experts say. Jeffs, awaiting trial in a southern Utah jail, is accused of forcing an underage girl to marry an older man. A charging affidavit says Jeffs told the girl her religious salvation depended on submitting to the man, who has not been charged. Accomplice charges have long been part of common law, and Jeffs' lawyers won't be able to rely on a defense that tries to attack that concept, said Erik Luna, law professor at the University of Utah. advertisement "You are as liable as if you committed the act yourself," said Craig Barlow, a state attorney who sent another Utah man to prison in 1997 for forcing his 13-year-old daughter to marry a 48-year-old man. John Perry Chaney's conviction for rape by accomplice was upheld by the Utah Court of Appeals, which rejected his claim he expected his daughter to wait until turning 16 to consummate the marriage. She disputed that and testified her father provided her with "marriage bed" instructions. Chaney, an itinerant preacher, was convicted by a jury even though he was far from the crime scene. A leading Utah pollster says jurors can be tough, especially jurors in Mormon-dominated Utah who are judging self-styled fundamentalists who renounce the mainstream church for giving up polygamy more than a century ago. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prosecutors eye Jeffs' talks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FLDS leader's sermons might be used against him during trial | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Sunday, October 1, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs' own words could come back to haunt him. Washington County prosecutors are considering using some of Jeffs' tape-recorded sermons and written preachings as evidence in any upcoming trial. "We haven't made any specific decisions about what's going to be introduced or not, but certainly it is possible that (the sermons) will be introduced to support that portion of our case," deputy Washington County Attorney Brian Filter told the Deseret Morning News. Law enforcement officials investigating the Fundamentalist LDS Church have been listening to tapes of Jeffs' sermons and reading copies of his writings — including some that deal with arranged marriages. "You should be praying that you will be prepared and that you will be given to a husband who will prove faithful to the end," Jeffs said in one recorded sermon obtained by the Deseret Morning News. "It is true you don't take things into your own hands and date and seek out a husband. That the actions you must take are self-preparation." Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Polygamy Case That Isn't -- and It's a Good Thing, Too: Why the Warren Jeffs Prosecution Is Really About Child Rape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Erik Luna FindLaw Originally published Monday, October 2, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the end of August, law enforcement finally nabbed Warren Jeffs, the prophet and autocrat of the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS). Charged as an accomplice to felony rape of a minor, he had been on the lam for months and was featured on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Jeffs now awaits trial, detained in the ironically named Purgatory Jail in southern Utah, and a small media circus is ready to begin when the gavel falls. Just this past Wednesday, September 27, a relatively routine ten-minute court session drew national news coverage -- foreshadowing an all-out media blitz for the probable cause hearing scheduled for late November. Jeffs's prosecution has been spun in the media as a case about polygamy -- the last thing Utah needed. Although the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church, not to be confused with the FLDS sect) has long disavowed the practice, the titillating history of plural marriage is rekindled with every new story or pop culture reference. Recently, there's been Jon Krakauer's bestselling book Under the Banner of Heaven and the HBO show "Big Love." And some locals have even contributed to the spectacle with a little self-deprecating humor; for instance, a Park City microbrew called "Polygamy Porter" carries slogans like "why have just one" and "take some home for the wives." But the Jeffs case doesn't fit into this cultural framework. Rather than being about polygamy, it's really a case about child rape -- an offense which we all can agree merits severe punishment. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Accuser in Jeffs Case Was 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist leader's accuser in rape case was 14 when forced to marry cousin, source says | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Jennifer Dobner The Associated Press CBS News Originally published October 21, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SALT LAKE CITY - The woman at the center of a criminal case involving polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was 14 when forced into a marriage with her first cousin, a source close to the case said Friday. At Jeffs' direction, she was married despite her objections in 2001 to the cousin, who was older than 18, the source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to protect the woman's identity. The marriage was not polygamous, the source said. "It was child abuse, plain and simple," the source said. Jeffs, 50, is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a southern Utah-based church. The sect broke away from the Mormon church more than a century ago and has been disavowed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Washington County prosecutors charged Jeffs in April with two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice for his suspected role in the marriage. A fugitive for nearly two years, Jeffs was arrested in August during a traffic stop near Las Vegas. If convicted on both charges, he could face up to life in prison. Washington County prosecutor Brock Belnap has said the case was about child abuse and not an attack on polygamy, which is practiced by the FLDS church. Jeffs' defense attorney, Walter Bugden, said after a September court hearing that his client contends the case is one of religious persecution. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs attends brief hearing tied to Arizona charges | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Jennifer Dobner The Associated Press KVOA News 4 - Tucson Originally published October 25, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs appeared in a southern Utah courtroom Wednesday to discuss his Arizona criminal case, but the hearing ended within minutes and his extradition to the neighboring state in the months ahead remains unsettled. Jeffs, 50, is in jail on Utah charges related to the marriage of an underage girl to an older man. He's waiting to learn if a judge will move that case to trial. Meantime, Jeffs must deal with procedural matters tied to similar criminal charges in Mohave County, Ariz. Appearing over closed-circuit television from jail in Hurricane, Jeffs said he's trying to find Arizona attorneys to defend him. "It's in progress," he told 5th District Judge James Shumate. No one from the Mohave County prosecutor's office appeared in the St. George courtroom. Prosecutor Matt Smith was in trial. Shumate set another hearing for Dec. 26, the end of a 90-day period to get a warrant to ensure Jeffs' extradition. If Arizona fails to act by then, the process would have to be restarted. Jeffs would not be extradited to Arizona until after his Utah case. He has not said whether he would fight it. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Judge: Arizona will have to wait | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charges on Jeffs to wait until Utah is finished | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Laura Duncan The Spectrum Originally published October 26, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE - Prosecutors in Arizona will have to wait indefinitely to pursue their case against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. Wednesday afternoon during an extradition hearing in a Washington County courtroom, Jeffs was told he isn't going anywhere for awhile. "Arizona's going to have to wait," 5th District Court Judge James Shumate told Jeffs, who appeared for the proceedings via closed-circuit television. Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, with headquarters in the twin border cities of Colorado City, Ariz. and Hildale, Utah, faces five years to life in prison if convicted of two counts of rape as an accomplice in Utah. He was also indicted on charges of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor in Mohave County, Ariz. Jeffs also faces federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Combined, the charges landed him on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list last May. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No decision yet on Jeffs' extradition to Arizona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Nancy Perkins and Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Thursday, October 26, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — Arizona prosecutors have 60 days to ask that jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs be brought across the state line to face charges there. The Fundamentalist LDS Church leader appeared Wednesday afternoon before 5th District Court Judge James Shumate via closed circuit TV from Hurricane's Purgatory Jail. Jeffs remains incarcerated on two first-degree felony charges in Utah of rape as an accomplice. He is also being held on a fugitive warrant out of Kingman, Ariz. "I am presuming Arizona still wants you, although they're going to have to wait until this matter with Utah is over," Shumate said, adding that Mohave County, Ariz., must seek an extradition warrant from Arizona's governor before Jeffs could face charges in that state. Mohave County prosecutors have filed charges of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor against Jeffs, both class 6 felonies in Arizona. Jeffs appeared clean-shaven and was dressed in a green-and-white jail uniform. His appearance before Shumate followed that of several other inmates. The FLDS leader appeared without counsel at Wednesday's hearing. "My other lawyers are searching for Arizona lawyers, so it's in progress," said Jeffs, 50, who hesitated for a moment before leaning forward to speak into a microphone. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffs reaches out to FLDS faithful from Purgatory Jail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phone calls allow him to hold 'church' sessions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Saturday, November 4, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs is apparently holding "church" — from Purgatory. Jeffs has reportedly been making phone calls from Hurricane's Purgatory Jail to his faithful followers, who gather in groups to hear the words of the man they call "prophet." "He makes a call to a group of people waiting to hear from their prophet," a law enforcement source familiar with the phone calls told the Deseret Morning News. "They sing songs to him, and he goes into dissertations, his prophetic utterances." The calls are also being heard by officials at the Purgatory Jail, who can monitor phone calls made by all inmates. However, there is reportedly nothing that is alarming or illegal about what Jeffs is saying. "Nothing that we've heard has been the slightest bit inflammatory or threatening," the source said. Jeffs is being kept in isolation at the Purgatory Jail. He is allowed out of his cell for one hour a day to receive visitors and make telephone calls. The Washington County Sheriff's Office would not discuss the phone calls and has refused to release jail visitation logs. Several FLDS members, including one of Jeffs' brothers, have been visiting him at the Purgatory Jail. Another source, who asked to remain anonymous, witnessed them "furiously scribbling" notes during a jailhouse visit with Jeffs. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tug-of-war over trove of Jeffs evidence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Saturday, November 4, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Federal authorities are trying to keep their hands on evidence seized by the FBI when Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs was captured. In an unusual move, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah asked a Nevada federal judge to let three of its lawyers handle the evidence battle. A motion was filed in federal court in Nevada on Tuesday and obtained by the Deseret Morning News. On Friday, a federal judge in Las Vegas granted their request. Jeffs' defense lawyers want seized documents, letters and other papers returned, saying they are protected by the FLDS leader's right to freedom of religion and clergy-communicant privilege. "These records include confidential religious writings and teachings of the FLDS, as well as privileged communications with FLDS members," Jeffs defense lawyer Richard Wright wrote in an emergency motion filed in Las Vegas' federal court in September. The federal government disagrees. "We have an interest in the Nevada case, and we are working to protect what could be evidence in our case," said U.S. Attorney for Utah spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Security increased for Jeffs, witness | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Saturday, November 18, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Police are taking steps to protect the young woman who has accused Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs of forcing her into a child-bride marriage, even as the courts work to protect her identity. "Jane Doe IV," the prosecution's star witness, is expected to testify during Jeffs' preliminary hearing Tuesday. Washington County Sheriff's deputies said security will be increased in St. George's 5th District Courthouse to protect the alleged victim and Jeffs. "The safety of crime victims is paramount to us," Washington County Sheriff's Lt. Jake Adams told the Deseret Morning News. "He's certainly what we would classify as high profile. His safety is also held in account." Adams declined to talk specifics, but he said a number of security and contingency plans are in place. St. George police said they plan to have a heavy security presence outside the courthouse, including deploying their SWAT team. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New details about marriage, victim in Jeffs case | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News Originally published Monday, November 20, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE — In court papers filed this afternoon, Washington County prosecutors revealed new details about the woman accusing polygamist leader Warren Jeffs of forcing her into a child bride marriage. Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap named the victim and the alleged rapist in the court papers obtained by the Deseret Morning News. The preliminary hearing memorandum said she was 14-years-old when she was forced by Jeffs to have sex with a 19-year-old man who was also her first cousin. "In this case, the defendant did not have sex with (the victim). However, (the victim) submitted to sex with her purported husband because of the undue influence and religious authority of the defendant," Belnap wrote. "Although the defendant was not the actor in the sense that he had sex with (the victim), accomplices are "actors under the law." Belnap said no marriage license was obtained for the union performed by Jeffs, which was conducted in secret. However, the victim believed she was married and had sex with her purported husband because "she believed it was her responsibility as a wife." The Deseret Morning News does not name sexual assault victims, nor is this newspaper naming the alleged rapist because he has not been charged with a crime. Defense lawyers fired back this afternoon, asking a judge to dismiss the case against the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teenage Bride Set to Testify Against Warren Jeffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Hollenhorst Reporting KSL-TV Channel 5 Originally broadcast November 20, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist Warren Jeffs will finally face his main accuser tomorrow, as the teenage bride appears publicly in court for the first time. She's scheduled to testify in a preliminary hearing for Jeffs, who faces two counts of rape as an accomplice. Those charges could put Jeffs behind bars for life. Until today, the girl has never been publicly identified; even her age was kept secret. But today, new court documents finally identified her. We've chosen not to broadcast the name since she's an alleged rape victim. And we now know her age-- 14 at the time of the alleged rape five years ago, by her own cousin. Warren Jeffs wasn't officially the leader of the FLDS church at the time of the alleged crime. His father Rulon was. But by all accounts, Jeffs began taking over in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona, even before his father died. The crux of the alleged crime was at the Hot Springs Motel in Caliente, Nevada. The young victim says Jeffs presided over her marriage to an older follower in a motel room. Investigators say this used to be one of Jeffs' favorite marriage venues. He sometimes performed as many as a half-dozen marriages a day here. In Hildale, before and after the marriage, the teenager says she asked Jeffs to let her out of the marriage. But he said her salvation depended on being a faithful wife. Jeffs allegedly commanded her to submit to sex, saying, "Give yourself mind, body and soul to your husband." The girl claims the husband forced her to have sex, using Jeffs teachings as justification. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polygamist leader to appear in court | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Harriet Ryan Court TV CNN Law Center Originally published November 21, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ST. GEORGE, Utah (Court TV) -- Warren Jeffs, the polygamist sect leader who held a place on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list earlier this year, is set to appear in court Tuesday to learn what evidence prosecutors have connecting him to the alleged rape of a teenage girl. The young woman, who has accused Jeffs of using his position as a religious leader to force her into an underage marriage in which she was repeatedly sexually assaulted, is to testify at the preliminary hearing in district court. It will be the first legal proceeding to address the substance of the charges against Jeffs, 50, since his capture in Las Vegas, Nevada, in August after more than a year as a fugitive. Washington County prosecutors have accused Jeffs, the Prophet or head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of marrying the alleged victim to an older man when she was a minor and then counseling her to submit to her husband's sexual demands or face eternal damnation. He is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice, a first-degree felony. At Tuesday's hearing, prosecutors must show they have probable cause that Jeffs committed the crimes. If, as expected, Fifth Judicial District Judge James Shumate determines the prosecution's evidence meets this standard, the case will continue toward trial. Read more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CNN LARRY KING LIVE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preliminary Hearing for Polygamist Warren Jeffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CNN Originally broadcast November 21, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TED ROWLANDS, GUEST HOST: Tonight, Warren Jeffs the polygamist, captured after an FBI manhunt, in court for a preliminary hearing facing a tearful former child bride. She says he forced her to marry an older man against her will as her godly duty. Jeffs says he's being persecuted for his beliefs.
Now, hear from other women who risked it all to flee his arranged marriages, next on "LARRY KING LIVE." Hello, everybody. I'm Ted Rowlands, in for Larry King tonight. Unbelievable testimony today in the pretrial hearing of Utah polygamist Warren Jeffs. On the stand, a young woman who says she was 14 when Jeffs forced her to marry a 19-year-old first cousin. Spectators sat quietly as she detailed the events leading up to her marriage ceremony. We'll get to our guest in a moment. But first, let's listen to a portion of the young woman's gut-wrenching testimony. We're doing to listen to a lot of it throughout this next hour. In this first clip, she talks about realizing for the first time that she was being ordered to marry her first cousin. (BEGIN AUDIO FEED) UNIDENTIFIED VICTIM: When I finally realized who they were going to have me marry, I was devastated. I immediately stood up and walked out of the room. I wanted -- I mean, it shocked me so much that I just couldn't handle it. I walked up to my mother's room. I told her, Mom, I know who I'm going to marry. And she says, really, who? And I told her you're going to have me marry Allen. And she said, no, they're not, He's your first cousin. They wouldn't do that. (END AUDIO FEED) ROWLANDS: Very emotional day in court today. Our panel -- two of the folks that we'll be talking through the hour were in court. We'll get their first-hand perspective. Mike Watkiss is a reporter for the Phoenix station KTVK. He's reported extensively on Warren Jeffs and his FLDS Church and its polygamist practices. Sara Hammon was also in court for today's dramatic testimony. She was raised in a polygamist household with more than 70 children and some 19 sister-wives. Says her | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
