Witness in Jeffs case grilled about her marriage, relationship with husband

ST. GEORGE — Warren Jeffs' accuser admitted on the stand Monday morning that she acquiesced to an arranged marriage with her 19-year-old cousin in 2001 largely because of her mother's influence.

"My mother was the one who finally showed me that I had no choice," the now 21-year-old woman said of her marriage six years ago to a first cousin. "She had a lot of influence with me at that time."

Jeffs, 51, is charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice. The leader of the Fundamentalist LDS Church is accused of conducting the ceremony that united the then-14-year-old girl with a cousin that she despised, and of counseling the girl to submit to her husband "mind, body and soul."

The state's witness, who first took the stand Thursday afternoon in 5th District Court, on Monday spent several hours under cross-examination by Jeffs' attorney, Tara Isaacson. The exchange was at times combative as the witness sought to explain circumstances surrounding her answers.

Isaacson questioned the woman about the timeline of events, noting she told no one she had been "raped" until after her marriage ended.

The woman first flew to Baltimore to speak with a private attorney and followed that with a visit to her current lawyers, Roger and Greg Hoole, who are representing her in a civil lawsuit against the FLDS Church and Jeffs. A trip to Washington County prosecutors followed, which led to interviews with a Washington County sheriff's detective and the subsequent charges facing Jeffs.

The defense wants to question the woman in front of the jury about the civil lawsuit and her motivation for it. Judge James Shumate said he would review the issue during a lunch break.

Under cross-examination, Isaacson asked the woman if her behavior with her husband ever led him to believe she wanted sex.

"Isn't it true that at times you acted like sexual relations with (your husband) were fine with you?" Isaacson asked the witness. "Didn't you sugar it up, use sex, and if you wanted something you would agree to it?"

The woman admitted she agreed to participate in sex with her husband about three months following her marriage in order to "get money and other things, to go see my mother or sisters."

Isaacson showed the jury photos of love notes, cards and letters that the woman's husband had written to her during their 3 1/2 year marriage, which prompted the witness to say her former husband "is a good guy."

The defense also questioned her about an affair she had with another man while she was still married to her cousin. She left the FLDS Church and her husband after becoming pregnant by that man, whom she later married.

An older sister, who is no longer a member of the polygamous sect, took the witness stand right before the lunch break.

"I gave her an option. To me it was she could just leave," the sister testified. "But then to not get married, she would have to give up our mother, brothers and sisters. I told her you don't have to do it, but that doesn't mean there are really other options."

The trial is expected to continue through Friday, although Judge Shumate indicated earlier it could easily run into next week.

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com