From Deseret News archives:

Fall Arizona trial expected for Jeffs

Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:26 a.m. MDT
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KINGMAN, Ariz. — The Mohave County attorney said he estimates a fall trial in the cases remaining against Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs.

Jeffs, 52, seemed to be in better spirits as he smiled to his supporters when he entered the courtroom on Wednesday morning, wearing prison garb with a camouflaged bulletproof vest.

At the case management hearing, Mohave County Judge Steven F. Conn alerted Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith and Jeffs' defense attorney, Michael Piccarreta, to the ruling dismissing with prejudice a 2005 case at the request of the state.

After a witness in the case indicated that she would not testify against Jeffs, Smith filed a motion to dismiss it. Jeffs still faces four counts of sexual conduct with a minor and four counts of incest in two separate cases accusing him of arranging marriages between teenage girls and adult male followers in the Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, area.

Conn set a hearing for 8 a.m. on May 19. A trial date could be set at the hearing, though Smith said it would be unlikely to happen at that time.

"This case will be tried probably in the fall as this case will not take as long as other serious cases," Smith said.

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Piccarreta filed a motion requesting the case be classified as complex, which would allow for the case to take longer without infringing on Jeffs' constitutional right to a speedy trial.

Conn also set a stipulated schedule for the two pending cases. The judge extended the deadline for the defense to file a motion to remand the case to the grand jury to May 5.

Also known as a Rule 12.9, a motion challenging the grand jury proceedings may be filed if it is alleged the defendant was denied a substantial procedural right, or that an insufficient number of qualified grand jurors concurred in the finding of the indictment.

Beyond the motion requesting the remand, Piccarreta said he expects to file several motions on behalf of his client ranging from a motion to dismiss based on the right to religious freedom to a motion for a change of venue.

Conn warned both the prosecution and defense about conduct outside the courtroom, including any statements to the media. The more people talk about this case, the more likely there will be statements and articles used as cause for a change of venue, he added.

This statement came after Piccarreta went on record saying he believed Gary Engels, special investigator for Mohave County, made potentially religiously insensitive remarks at an Arizona Republican group gathering.

Recent comments

Why keep prosecuting this man for his religious beliefs?

Mahonri | March 20, 2008 at 8:34 a.m.

Image

Warren Jeffs

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