Jeffs' lawyers seeking deposition of activist

KINGMAN, Ariz. — Lawyers for Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs are seeking a court-ordered deposition of an anti-polygamy activist.

In papers filed Friday in Mohave County Superior Court, Jeffs' attorneys seek a deposition of Flora Jessop, objecting to her appearance at a voluntary interview with them on Nov. 24. She brought a TV crew with her, and the interview was over before it started.

"Ms. Jessop's publicity stunt is clearly an unacceptable condition," attorneys Richard Wright and Michael Piccarreta wrote, adding that Jessop sought to turn her interview into "The Jerry Springer Show."

Jessop claimed in a statement that she showed up willing to cooperate, but she wanted someone to document the "truth of abuse in polygamy." Jessop declined earlier requests for a newspaper reporter to attend the interview. Jessop said she will not object to a deposition.

"The only possible result of Ms. Jessop's latest publicity stunt is to generate adverse publicity to prejudice the defendant in the local media and possibly on a national level," Wright and Piccarreta wrote.

Jeffs' defense attorneys are seeking to question Jessop about phone calls she had with Rozita Swinton, who is suspected of making the hoax call that launched the April raid on the FLDS Church's ranch in Texas. They are seeking to suppress any evidence taken from the Texas raid in Jeffs' upcoming Arizona trial, where he is accused of performing underage marriages.

— Ben Winslow

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