Jeffs' day in court
 
Deseret Morning News editorial
 
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.)

Freedom of religion is one of America's most cherished liberties. But it is no cloak for criminal activity. The illegal practice of polygamy can result in other crimes against children and women. These offenses can be difficult to prosecute because victims are so entrenched in their lifestyles and beliefs that they refuse to cooperate with authorities. Others balk because they fear reprisals.

But in recent years, there has been a sea-change in how polygamy-related offenses are handled by law enforcers and prosecutors. Sexual crimes committed against young girls have been successfully prosecuted. Child welfare authorities have helped children born to polygamist families who want to escape to start new lives. Rodney Holm, a police officer, was convicted of bigamy and unlawful conduct with a girl he took as a third wife when she was 16. He was sentenced to a year in jail, and his police certification has been revoked. Justice Court Judge Walter Steed was ousted from the bench by the Utah Supreme Court, which ruled that his relationships with three women he considers his "wives" breaks the law and brings his judicial office into disrepute.
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published Saturday, September 2, 2006
 
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