From Deseret News archives:

Jury finds Jeffs guilty

Published: Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007 11:47 p.m. MDT
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"Let this verdict be a warning to anyone else who believes that forcing young girls to marry older men is acceptable and without consequence. The state of Utah will continue to be vigilant in pursuing anyone who breaks the law, no matter where they live or what they believe. Today's verdict is just the beginning of a long journey to seek justice for all."

In an interview with the Deseret Morning News from his hospital bed, recovering from a motorcycle accident, Shurtleff said he felt the jury during the trial "really got" what Wall had been forced to do.

"We know he's going to spend a significant amount of time in prison," Shurtleff said of Jeffs. "And we can do what we need to as far as ongoing investigations."

The Utah Attorney General's office has been conducting an organized crime probe into Jeffs and the FLDS Church. Shurtleff has been pushing to see evidence the FBI seized from a Cadillac Escalade Jeffs was in when he was arrested outside Las Vegas last year.

FLDS Church faithful left the courthouse without commenting after the verdict was read. Jeffs showed no reaction in court.

Defense attorneys left the courthouse without commenting on the verdict. Defense attorney Wally Bugden did say he planned to appeal the jury's decision.

Story continues below
This morning the jury and attorneys had returned to the courthouse for another day of deliberations. But it was soon announced that the eight-member jury deliberating in Jeffs' case ran into a problem resulting in one female member being dismissed and replaced with one of four alternates.

The dismissal meant jury deliberations started over.

The jury that deliberated the case was comprised of five men and three women. The four alternates were all women.

The alternates sat through all in-court proceedings of the trial. Since deliberations began last Friday, they had been free to return to their normal activities, but they were admonished by the court to refrain from talking about the case and to avoid exposure to news media coverage about it.

Jeffs, 51, was charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice for his role in conducting a 2001 spiritual marriage between an unwilling 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin, which eventually led to sex between the two.

Washington County prosecutors say Wall, now 21 and married to another man, would never have even kissed her cousin, Allen Steed, if Jeffs hadn't ordered her to do so. Under Utah law, a 14-year-old can consent to sexual intercourse. However, such activity is considered rape if the other person is three years or more older and the 14-year-old is enticed or lured into having sex.

Recent comments

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!

Perversion | Nov. 20, 2007 at 6:29 p.m.

well in response to mary's comment joseph smith did not do what jeffs...

in response to mary | Sept. 29, 2007 at 7:10 p.m.

===


Continuation of Literary Efforts/Work: research,...

DEBATER | Sept. 28, 2007 at 1:30 p.m.

Image
Jud Burkett, Pool, Associated Press

Warren Jeffs, left, and his attorneys react to the guilty verdicts rendered Tuesday afternoon during the polygamist leader's trial in St. George. Jeffs was found guilty of two counts of rape as an accomplice.

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