| Next stop: Utah Jeffs waives extradition rights, invokes right to remain silent | |||
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By Patrice St. Germain patrices@thespectrum.com | |||
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 said. Jeffs was indicted by a grand jury in Mohave County on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor on June 9. On July 7, several more similar charges were added and Engels said he now faces about six or seven counts in Mohave County and there could be more. Engels said the charges do not mean Jeffs participated or was even present when the alleged sexual conduct took place but simply that he was an accomplice. On the charges against Jeffs and Rodney Hans Holm, a former Colorado City police officer, court documents indicate that the conduct took place in the vicinity of Greg Holm’s building. Engels said the building is located at the corner of Academy and Richards Street in Colorado City and was used as a meeting place for different people. While Jeffs is now facing extra charges in Mohave County, the decision was made Wednesday between state and local agencies in Arizona and Utah to have Jeffs first be extradited to Utah because the Washington County Attorney’s Office was able to obtain a temporary court order for Jeffs to be held without bail. Jeffs will be transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility to first face his charges filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office on two first-degree felony charges of rape as an accomplice. Thursday afternoon, Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap held a press conference about the charges against Jeffs, both of which carry a potential penalty of five years to live. Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said he would not give details of when or how Jeffs would be transported to Utah but did say that he would be in administrative segregation, which means Jeffs would have his own cell. Jeffs will take all meals in his cell and have one hour out a day for telephone calls and to shower and exercise and would be allowed one to two hours a week of visitation, which typically takes place seven to 10 days following incarceration and after the visitors listed have been screened. Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has been on the FBI Top 10 most wanted list since May. His alleged flight to avoid prosecution ended quietly and peacefully on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas on Monday night after the vehicle he was in was pulled over on a routine traffic stop. | |||
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TheSpectrum.com Originally published September 1, 2006 | |||
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