Joshuah's House: LDS

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Polygamist sect leader found guilty

" ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Steed Jeffs was found guilty Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for using his religious authority to push a 14-year-old girl into a marriage she did not want.

FLDS leader Warren Jeffs and his defense team are stoic as the guilty verdict is read.

Jeffs stood with his hands folded and didn't appear to react as the verdict was read.

The counts carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. His sentencing date was not immediately set.

"This trial has not been about religion or a vendetta," said prosecutor Brock Belnap. "It is simply about child abuse."

He called the young woman, Elissa Wall, a hero for coming forward with her story."

Full Story Told on CNN

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Warren Jeffs Convicted

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (Reuters) - U.S. polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was convicted on Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for arranging a marriage between an unwilling 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old first cousin.

Jeffs faces five years to life in prison for each of the two felony charges of accomplice to rape. No date was set for sentencing.

The self-described "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints showed no expression as the verdict was read to a court packed with his supporters.

The trial has riveted Utah, the western state with a majority Mormon population. Jeffs' sect is not associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are called Mormons."

Full Sad Tale is Told Here

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Polygamist sect leader's jury starts over

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Jurors in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs started deliberating all over again Tuesday with a new panelist after signaling earlier that they were close to a verdict.

Warren Jeffs is accused of two counts of being an accomplice to the rape of a FLDS child bride.

One juror was removed for reasons that weren't explained. She was replaced by one of the alternates, also a woman, court officials said.

Deliberations have been brief but tumultuous. On Monday, after just one full day of discussions, jurors told Judge James Shumate they were deadlocked. They returned to the jury room after a few words of encouragement.

Before leaving for the evening, jurors told the judge they were close to a verdict but wanted to sleep on it. But before deliberations resumed Tuesday morning, court officials replaced the juror, saying only that there had been an "event."
"

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Juror in Warren Jeffs trial replaced

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — A juror in the trial of polygamous leader Warren Jeffs was replaced Tuesday and the panel was told to start deliberations from scratch, a day after it had announced it was close to a verdict.

Fifth District Judge James Shuter instructed the jury to begin deliberations again after excusing a female juror and replacing her with a female alternate in Jeffs' trial on two counts of rape as an accomplice.

The surprise announcement came on Tuesday, one day after the jury said it was deadlocked. After the judge told the panel to go back to work, jurors said they believed they were close to a verdict, but wanted to sleep on it."

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Jeffs being prosecuted for polygamist connections, defence argues

"But Jeffs’s attorney argued there was no rape. Walter Bugden said the only reason Jeffs is on trial is because he leads the largest polygamous group in North America, which the state of Utah does not approve of.

He noted that on the day the girl testified, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was in the courtroom sitting with her lawyer.

Bugden said there was no way that Jeffs knowingly aided in the rape even if he directed them to “go forth and replenish the earth.”

"The state does not have the courage to charge Warren Jeffs with what Mr. Jeffs may be criminally responsible for," which is unlawful marriage and the marriage of an under-aged girl, said Jeffs’s lawyer

Instead, “the state dropped a nuclear bomb on the FLDS community and charged Warren Steed Jeffs with rape. There was no rape. There is no accomplice liability," he added."

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Jury in Warren Jeffs trial announces deadlock on one count; judge sends them back to work

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — Jurors in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs announced Monday that they could not reach a unanimous decision on the issue of whether the so-called "prophet" influenced a 14-year-old bride to have sex with her husband against her will."

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Jeffs jurors say they are near a decision

" ST. GEORGE - Jurors deciding the fate of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs deliberated for about 11 hours today without reaching a verdict, but said they are close to decisions on the two counts of rape as an accomplice.
Fifth District Judge James L. Shumate sent the five men and three women home at about 8:15 p.m., asking them to return to court at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The jurors had sent Shumate a note shortly after 3:30 p.m. today, saying they were deadlocked on the second count. "

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Jeffs Jury Deadlocked on One Count

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Jurors neared a verdict before heading home Monday in the case against the leader of a polygamous sect who is accused of rape in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her older cousin.

The jury had sent a note to the judge earlier indicating it had reached an impasse on one count against Warren Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jeffs is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice.

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Verdict Watch: Warren Jeffs Trial

"In the case of State of Utah v. Warren Steed Jeffs. At 8:10 p.m. (MST), Judge James Shumate called the jury back into the courtroom. The jury indicated they were close to a verdict, but wanted to sleep on it overnight. The judge released them for the evening. The jury will be back in session on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m."

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Warren Jeffs: Jury hung on one count, decides on another

"ST. GEORGE — The jury in the Warren Jeffs trial has come to a decision on one count of the two charges against the polygamist leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but is hung on the second count."

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Utah Jury Resumes Deliberations in Polygamist Leader's Trial

" ST. GEORGE, Utah — Jurors returned to the courthouse Monday for their first full day of deliberations in a case that could send the leader of a polygamous sect to prison for the rest of his life.

After instructions and closing arguments, the jury met for about two hours Friday."

Full Story at FoxNews.Com

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage , mohave county

JEFFS: Defense team set for Arizona, federal charges

"ST. GEORGE — No matter what the Washington County jury decides in the Warren Jeffs trial, the leader of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints still has more court proceedings ahead of him.

Jeffs still has charges pending against him in Mohave County, Ariz. as well as federal charges.

Las Vegas attorney Richard Wright, a member of Jeffs' defense team, said this morning that he will be Jeffs' legal counsel for the federal charges as well as co-counsel on the Arizona charges along with Michael L. Piccarreta out of Tucson.

Jeffs has a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

In Mohave County, Jeffs faces eight charges including sexual conduct with a minor, conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor and incest as an accomplice.

Those charges involve two victims including Elissa Wall, who was previously only identified as Jane Doe IV in the Washington County case."

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Jury continues deliberations in Jeffs case

"ST. GEORGE — With only two hours to deliberate after five days of testimony, the five men and three women on the jury in the state’s case against Warren Steed Jeffs didn’t reach a verdict Friday and will continue deliberations this morning.

The jury was advised by 5th District Judge James L. Shumate to be back in court at 9 a.m. to continue looking at the evidence."

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Why they leave

Scott Tracy

"Recently on a former-Mormons website, a poll was taken asking the question "Why did you leave?" and the results might be somewhat shocking to most current members of the church.

"Kevin Whitaker, in his recent article on postmormon.org expressed the view that most members who leave the church are sinners, offended, or weak in the faith. This, while may be true for some, fails to cover the reasons that most people leave the faith, and reflects the most common misunderstanding between members of the LDS faith and their former Mormon counterparts. In this article, I will try to cover the reasons that people who leave give, and hopefully increase understanding and acceptance for everyone. By way of warning, I will not go in depth into any faith-harming material, nor will I be unfairly critical of anyone. This is my faith community as well, and my intent is to help us understand."

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Technorati Tags: LDS, polygamy, Mormon Faith

Jury considering polygamist's fate

ST. GEORGE, Utah

"Jurors are to resume deliberations today in the case of Warren Jeffs, leader of a polygamous sect who is charged as an accomplice to rape for allegedly coercing a 14-year-old girl to marry her cousin.

"The jury got the case Friday after closing arguments in which the defense claimed Jeffs was being persecuted because of his religion.

"Jeffs, 51, is president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church endorses polygamy and represents itself as an offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church, which disavows any connection and renounced polygamy in 1890 as a condition of Utah statehood." - AP

Source

New century, same debate on polygamy

By Lee Benson, Deseret Morning News

"In July of 1953, Howard Pyle, then the governor of Arizona, ordered a massive police raid on the border town of Short Creek to crack down on polygamist activity there.

" 'Here is a community,' " the governor said, 'dedicated to the wicked theory that every maturing girl child should be forced into the bondage of multiple wifehood with men of all ages for the sole purpose of producing more children ... .'

"Fast forward 54 years.

"Deja vu anyone?

"As we wait for the jury in St. George to conclude its deliberations on rape accomplice charges against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs one verdict is easy to read: "the wicked theory that every maturing girl child should be forced" is still on trial.

"It is the case that will not go away.

"Same stuff, different century."

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Technorati Tags: Elissa Wall, FLDS, LDS, plural marriage, polygamy, Warren Jeffs, Short Creek raid

'I hated him,' Wall says of her ex-husband

Resuming deliberations today, jurors will weigh exhibits, testimonies - including accuser's
By Brooke Adams, The Salt Lake Tribune

"ST. GEORGE - The jury in the trial of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs will resume deliberations this morning, picking up where it left off after two hours of discussion on Friday.

"The jurors have much to sort through: six days of testimony, dozens of exhibits and a 21-page instruction booklet. The five men and three women asked just one undisclosed question of attorneys on Friday, according to court spokesperson Nancy Volmer.

"Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of being an accomplice to rape related to a marriage he conducted in 2001 between Elissa Wall, who was 14, and Allen Steed, 19.

"Wall, who has changed her name, has agreed to the use of the name she used at the time. On Saturday, her attorneys released a photo taken of Wall in her wedding dress the night before the ceremony."

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Outside world gets a glimpse of FLDS

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — At age 17, Jennie Pipkin wanted to get married. Her father wanted her to finish high school. Four days after her graduation, he asked her to get him a Pepsi from the local store. She returned with the soda in one hand and the cordless phone in another.

It was time, she told him, to call Warren Jeffs.

Jeffs, the son of the prophet of Pipkin's polygamous sect, effectively ran the church and served as his father's spokesman. He asked Pipkin if she had someone in mind. She did — the name of another teenager had come to her while praying, she told Jeffs. The next day, the two were married."

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Las Vegas offers economic outlet for polygamous sect followers

"For decades, FLDS members have lived in an isolated enclave on the Utah-Arizona border, insulated from the outside world and able to practice polygamy without government interference. That has changed in recent years as authorities have prosecuted several FLDS members, including the sect's self-proclaimed prophet, Warren Steed Jeffs, on charges related to sexual abuse of teenage brides."

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Defense Rests, Testimony Over In Jeffs Trial

"The defense rested after jurors heard the former husband of a 14-year-old girl. Prosecutors then called a rebuttal witness for brief testimony. Closing arguments are set for Friday.

Jeffs is the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is charged with rape by accomplice.

Prosecutors claim he was influential in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin in 2001 and forced the teen to have sex with the young man.

The cousin said Wednesday he never forced himself on the teen bride and instead was a patient, loving husband who wanted to make the relationship work.

The man read from a series of notes and letters in which he poured out his feelings for the girl. He stood so jurors could hear his soft voice and sometimes cried as he testified for the defense."

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Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, Allen Steed , Elissa Wall

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