Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Warren Jeffs - Man With 70 Wives On Trial

Fundamentalist Mormon Leader Expecting Followers To Support Him

The jurors at the trial of a polygamist religious leader with as much as 70 wives and 31 daughters, are set to hear opening arguments on allegations of sexual assault against two under-age girls.

Warren Steed Jeffs, 55, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the defendant in a San Angelo, Texas trial this week. He is accused of having sex with a then 14 year old and a 12 year old.

Jeffs, as "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator" teaches that a man must have three wives to get to "highest glory of heaven," and the more wives, the better to reach it. Jeffs took over the cult after his father's death. He then married all but two of his father's 19 wives. His father, the previous cult leader, was said to have 60 children.

The number of wives and children attributed to polygamous marriages is in question due to the extreme secrecy of the sect. Members are said to lie to outsiders to protect their leaders and community as, making it difficult to know precisely what really goes on inside the locked gates of the remote community.

Jeffs was on the FBI's Most Wanted list until captured in 2006. Seven other male members of the sect have been found guilty of sexual offenses, including two who plead guilty.

Wednesday afternoon's hearings are taking up motions by the defense to limit documents to be allowed in evidence at the trial. Evidence collected includes DNA from hundreds of adults and children to establish family lines. The prosecution will have to prove the age of the alleged victims, and their sexual abuse by Jeffs in order to convict him. 

The secretive nature of some prospective witnesses from the polygamous community, and their alleged propensities to lie to protect Jeffs may prove a stumbling block for the prosecution. 

The jury is comprised of 10 women and two men, overseen by Judge Barbara Walther.

2 comments:

  1. Please examine the Jehovah's Witnesses who go door to door and come on our property.

    Jehovah's Witnesses pedophiles.
    Many court documents and news events prove that Jehovah's Witnesses require two witnesses when a child comes forward with allegations of molestation within the congregation. Such allegations have customarily been treated as sins instead of crimes and are only reported to authorities when it is required to do so by law, (which varies by state). It has also been shown that child molesters within the organization usually have not been identified to the congregation members or the public at large.
    These people engage in a door to door ministry, possibly exposing children to pedophiles.
    Although the Watchtower Bible Tract Society claims that known pedophiles are accompanied by a non-pedophile in such work, there is no law stating that such a practice must be followed.
    The Watchtower corporation has paid out millions in settlement money already.
    --
    Danny Haszard abuse victim
    dannyhaszard(dot)com

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  2. Anonymous9:11 AM

    When is the govt. going to investigste the welfare fraud of these people? I've read that most of the second, third, fourth,etc. wives(not recognized as married by the state), are on food stamps and welfare, and that government subsidies help this cult build buildings and schools. The pay checks of all who worked inside and outside of the compound is given to the leader. The "prophet" also regualrly advised men to file bankruptcy to get out of paying bills.Oh yeah, all of this is tax free, as a religious organization.

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