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August 4, 2011 in Nation/World
Polygamist leader convicted of sexual assault
In this courtroom sketch, polygamist religious leader Warren Jeffs, left, J.D. Roundy, center, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and his attorney are shown during court procedings in the sexual assault trial against Jeffs at Tom Green County Courthouse on Thursday Aug. 4, 2011, in San Angelo, Texas.
(Full-size photo)
SAN ANGELO, Texas — A Texas jury convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs of child sexual assault Thursday in a case stemming from two young followers he took as brides in what his church calls “spiritual marriages.”
The 55-year-old head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints stood stone-faced as the verdict was read.
Jeffs, who acted as his own attorney, faces up to life in prison. The jury went immediately into sentencing proceedings. They had deliberated on a verdict for more than three hours.
Prosecutors used DNA evidence to show Jeffs fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl and played an audio recording of what they said was him sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl. They also played audio recordings in which Jeffs was heard instructing young women on how to please him sexually.
Jeffs has claimed he was the victim of religious persecution. The FLDS, which has at least 10,000 members nationwide, is a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The church believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven and that Jeffs is God’s spokesman on earth.
Police had raided the group’s remote West Texas ranch in April 2008, finding women dressed in frontier-style dresses and hairdos from the 19th century as well as seeing underage girls who were clearly pregnant. The call to an abuse hotline that spurred the raid turned out to be a hoax, and more than 400 children who had been placed in protective custody were eventually returned to their families.
But authorities brought charges against several men from the group, with Jeffs by far the highest-profile defendant.
Jeffs stood mute and expressionless, staring at the floor, for all but a few seconds of the half hour he was allotted for a closing argument on Thursday. At one point he mumbled, “I am peace,” and said no more.
The only noise in the courtroom was the creaking of wooden benches brimming with spectators.
Prosecutors said the case had nothing to do with his church or his beliefs.
“You have heard the defendant make repeated arguments about religious freedoms,” said lead prosecutor Eric Nichols. “Make no mistake, this case is not about any people, this case is not about any religion. It is about one individual, Warren Steed Jeffs, and his actions.”
Prosecutors relied heavily on information found during the raid on the compound and after a traffic stop in Nevada in 2006, when Jeffs was arrested. Much of the material was discovered in a vault at the end of a secret passageway in the temple and another vault in an annex building.
“You might have asked yourselves,” Nichols said, “a lot of people may ask, why would someone record sex? … This individual considers himself to be the prophet. Everything he did, hour after hour, he was required to keep a record of that.”
On one of the tapes played at the trial, Jeffs made a reference to “drawing close” or “being close,” which authorities testified is how church members refer to sex. Two female voices said “OK.”
“A good wife is trained for her husband and follows the spirit of peace,” Jeffs was heard saying.
Another audio tape included Jeffs and the younger girl from a recording made in August 2006 at the Texas compound, according to testimony from Nick Hanna, a Texas Ranger involved in the 2008 raid.
Played in court, it was difficult to decipher, but Jeffs’ and a female voice are heard. He says, “I perform this service in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen,” then mentions the alleged victim by name. When she says something, he responds, “don’t talk while praying.” Several minutes of heavy breathing followed.
The jury wore headphones to better hear the recording and also followed a transcript. One female juror covered her face with her hand as she listened.
Jeffs represented himself after firing seven attorneys in the six months leading to the trial. He broke his courtroom silence with an objection marked by a nearly hourlong speech defending polygamy, and twice threatened the judge and the court with warnings of punishment from God.
He refused to cross-examine the state’s witnesses, and delayed giving an opening statement until he began presenting his own defense. In that statement, he evoked images of the civil rights movement and mentioned former Mormon leader Joseph Smith Jr. He also asked the jury to remember constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
The lone defense witness Jeffs called, church elder JD Roundy, spent about 10 minutes on the stand Thursday discussing FLDS history after 4 1/2 hours of testimony Wednesday evening.
Jeffs failed three times to remove state District Judge Barbara Walther from the case, the last rejection coming even without a hearing. He claimed Walther was biased because she issued the warrant for the original raid and was frequently updated as it progressed.
Eleven other FLDS men were charged with crimes including sexual assault and bigamy. All seven of those who have been prosecuted were convicted, receiving prison sentences of between six and 75 years.
© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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lowtechmaster on August 04 at 3:44 p.m.
There is some justice!!
DHF on August 04 at 4:00 p.m.
Justice Prevailed. Another pervert off the street.
Albert on August 04 at 4:54 p.m.
Interesting that he was found guilty in Texas - not Utah. In addition, he was convicted of sexual assault on a minor - not polygamy. The fundamental beliefs of the LDS today, still secretly support and practice polygamy - despite what the “boys at the door” will tell you. I’m currently working on a very detailed book to be published shortly on the Mormons. The FLDS itself continues to flourish, holds a land trust in excess of 100 million dollars, and the various children who were fathered by a select number of men within the “church” itself are back on the various “community” farms as per this same article. The perversion of polygamy, replete with the enslavement of both women and children, that accompanies this hideous practice, still openly exists today. This was conveniently ignored…why?
RedCedar on August 04 at 6:07 p.m.
Albert, is there some compelling reason why polygamy and polyandry ought to be illegal? I’m aware that they generally are illegal, and that the illegality of it is irrelevant if the people involved don’t feel the need to get a civil marriage license. I’m sure there are all kinds of dirty dealings within the LDS church, and perhaps your book will indeed finally reveal The Truth About Mormons, such as “What do the symbols on their magic underwear really mean?” and “How do they have sex with their magic underwear on?”.
However, once your list of complaints against Mormons includes the fact that the “secretly support and practice polygamy”, you lose me. In my mind, that’s on the same level as condemning the Anglicans because they “support and practice homosexuality”. Yes, it’s true some of them do, but I see nothing wrong with that either.
Obviously the under-age thing is a whole different matter, but to condemn polygamists on the grounds of protecting under-age girls is like condemning homosexual men on the grounds of protecting young boys, an argument that is still put forth with disgusting frequency.
By the way, fornication and adultery, even amongst consenting adults, are both still very illegal in Idaho (the other Mormon state), as is having sex using the wrong orifice, even between married heterosexuals. It seems that polygamy isn’t the only illegal sexual perversion being ignored by the law these days.
Albert on August 04 at 6:21 p.m.
Good evening Red Cedar, your questions are not clear, thus I will state that polygamy is against the law - period. The “secrets” originate from Freemasonry, wherein Joseph Smith, along with virtually every founding Elder was a member of the Navoo Masonic Lodge. I was a Master Mason, thus I have a good working knowledge of the “handshakes”, secrets of the Temple ceremony, and “signs” that you refer to. My “complaints” as you call them, are not complaints but documented facts based upon 3 years of intense study and research. I’m making my observations on this case based solely upon my findings and nothing more. Why was the laws pertaining to polygamy not observed? That is the question. Nothing more.
lowtechmaster on August 04 at 6:48 p.m.
Polygamy is, and should be, prohibited. It denigrates women to somethings less than human (slaves to men); it often results in indoctrinated minor girls “willingly” marrying what most of us would call a pervert or predator (read sexual assault on minors); it also leads to inbreeding, as in some places in the backwoods of several states.
Homosexuality, unless coerced, involves willing adult participants who have not been indoctrinated. Neither partner is a “slave,” and there is no inbreeding!
Even mainstream Mormans have, at least publically, rejected polygamy.
What about the civil rights of the multiple “brides”????
detroitdude on August 04 at 7:33 p.m.
To quote the wise words of the Bloodhound Gang: “You and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery channel.”
Hey, let’s not continue to put a stigma on consenting adult sexual activity. That’s how we all arrived here after all. The underage stuff is bad and this guy is scum. However, I don’t see it any worse than the “pure Catholic religion”.
maria on August 04 at 7:50 p.m.
One day about 10 years ago I was driving across northern AZ with my fiance and we went right past the towns of Colorado City and Hilldale, UT. On the side of the highway just outside of the towns, we noticed roughly 100 dogs all crammed into a 12x18’ kennel with no food or water. They were clammoring all over each other trying to find a place to stand or sit. It was heartbreaking. It was on a Sunday and there were no people around. The gate on the kennel was locked. We did not have cell phone service and we hoped it was just a temporary situation for the dogs. I could not imagine anyone treating animals that way…yet here it was before my eyes. Years later I read somewhere that Jeffs had all the dogs in town rounded up and killed because they were luxury items. I’m afraid we saw what was those poor dogs’ last day on earth. I’m still sickened by the memory. Bless their little souls.
RedCedar on August 04 at 7:50 p.m.
Albert, I’m sorry about the unclear questions. What I really want to know is whether Mormons take their magic underwear off when they have sex, and what the secret symbols on their magic underwear really mean. That’s all.
maria on August 04 at 8:14 p.m.
I can answer one question for you, RedCedar. The secret symbol is for a bullet that one of their founders took to the heart and is said to have survived. From then on they sewed in yet another hole. Maybe that answers both of your questions.
A friend of mine who works as an RN in an ER in the Jello Belt Region of the U.S. told me they even hold onto their undies after being cut out of them for medical emergencies. The devil can get in if they let go of the sacred lycra.
maria on August 04 at 8:28 p.m.
I support rejection of conformity:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5O7lzL6uvmM/TalEUDJHwkI/AAAAAAAAD5E/co7w-5WCUpw/s1600/mormon-holy-underwear.jpg
bdr on August 04 at 8:44 p.m.
I was wondering why there were so many men Gay marriages……and poop up comes this guy…..Polygamist.
Well that explains THAT…..they guy is marrying up all the females.
Warren Jeffs shame on you…!
RedCedar on August 04 at 8:46 p.m.
Thank you maria, though I didn’t see any secret symbols or symbolic holes in that picture of the underwear you linked to. Most of what I know about Mormonism had come from jack Mormon friends, but even they didn’t want to talk about the magic underwear.
Now that my curiosity has been (mostly) satisfied, I yield the floor to the more important argument about which organization is best suited to controlling our sex lives; a church or the government.
DoseOfReality on August 04 at 10:43 p.m.
Lowtechmaster, thank you for showing us that there are still people who are not afraid to discuss actual facts. Polygamy is NOT an acceptable practice in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Excommunication (formal removal from the Church) is all polygamists will get. Sure, some of them will claim to be members but they’re not. Just because some pervert child molester or multiple wife-bearing man wants to claim he’s a member of the Church doesn’t mean he is a member. Some reading of correct church doctrine will clarify that myth.
As far as the “magical underwear” statement is concerned: society can’t really be that ignorant, can we? What business is anyones’ underwear to anyone else? Seriously. If you lose sleep at night because you can’t figure out the mechanics of sex then you need help. The marks are apparently not your business. If you are supposed to know, you’ll know. If not, well then, just keep on fantasizing in your cave.
DoseOfReality on August 04 at 10:49 p.m.
RedCedar, here’s a hint: you won’t see any magic holes or symbols in that picture Maria posted. If you have no clue what you’re looking for you won’t see anything. And even if you ever do find what you’re looking for you will still be none the wiser than when you started. Silly boy.
RedCedar on August 05 at 8:57 a.m.
That’s perfect, DofR! It’s so secret that unless I’m in on the secret I won’t even see that there’s a secret hidden there. I can see people are understandably touchy about me making light of their religion. I suppose there are people who think it’s silly to believe that little cracker turns into the body of Christ when the priest performs a ritual over it, too. In a hyper-rational world, most of us need some irrational beliefs to keep us from going totally insane. So, religion is not the opium of the masses. Religion is the coffee and beer of the masses, to give us just enough irrational reality that we don’t resort to opium, ketamine, psilocybin, mescaline, lysergic acid diethylamide, phencyclidine…
DoseOfReality on August 05 at 11:39 p.m.
RedCedar, don’t feel bad that you’re not in on the secret. : ) It’s just that with your antagonistic ways you probably wouldn’t be willing to understand, let alone able. Nothing personal. Heavenly Father still loves you, even if your intentions are ill at best.
RedCedar on August 06 at 9:27 a.m.
Thank you for your concern regarding my feelings and for letting me know that your Heavenly Father loves me. I’m pretty satisfied with my relationship with the Great Spirit at this point, but if Heavenly Father loves me too (and maybe Ganesh, Jesus, and Quetzalcoatl to boot) that’s all the better. I love them too. As for the secret of the magic underwear, I’m actually happy that I’m not in on it because if I was, it wouldn’t be much of a secret, would it? And while I’m at it, I forgive you for passing judgment on my ways and intentions.and I’ve asked the Great Spirit to forgive you as well.