Like it or not, Southern Utah will be in the media spotlight
 
Opinion
The Spectrum
 
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.

The networks most likely will be here on and off over the course of the next few months and years. Barring a plea bargain, Jeffs will go to trial. And that process could take months, if not more than a year, as motions are filed and hearings are held prior to the jury phase getting under way.

Expect more members of the media to be here around those various court proceedings.

Security

You also might notice an extra emphasis on security. Some of Jeffs' followers have said that he didn't intend to be captured alive, although he reportedly was taken into custody without any weapons in his possession. And while it isn't likely that any drastic actions will be taken by Jeffs' most-stringent supporters, members of the Washington County Sheriff's Office and St. George Police Department have got to prepare for many different scenarios.

Don't be too surprised if you see roadblocks near the justice building on the days Jeffs is in court. And you probably will see more law enforcement vehicles around Purgatory Correctional Facility than normal.

Like it or not, Jeffs is a celebrity of sorts. He has some radical supporters, and he has enemies. Law enforcement officers in the county are taking that into account as they formulate their security plan.

Big Question

One of the biggest of the unanswered questions surrounding Jeffs' capture is why his brother and one of his wives - both of whom were with him the vehicle - weren't arrested on such charges as harboring a fugitive.

Authorities have said that they are still investigating the case. Perhaps a real answer will come at some point. And perhaps that reason will be a good one.

But taxpayers have a right to know why two people who were knowingly traveling with a fugitive from the law were let go.

At least with the information we have today, that decision doesn't make sense.

Contact Editor Todd Seifert at 674-6235, or via e-mail at tseifert@thespectrum.com.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published September 3, 2006
 
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