Jeffs' lawyers want Arizona indictment dismissed

KINGMAN, Ariz. — Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs' defense team is asking a judge to dismiss a grand jury indictment against him that led to charges of sexual misconduct and incest as an accomplice. The defense team accused Arizona prosecutors of presenting misleading information to the grand jury.

"The state presented inaccurate information, failed to present clearly exculpatory information and improperly influenced the grand jury," lawyers Richard Wright and Michael Piccarreta wrote. "Accordingly, Mr. Jeffs is entitled to a remand."

In papers filed in Mohave County Superior Court, Jeffs' lawyers also announce they intend to pursue a defense that proves Jeffs' innocence and appear to be ready to pounce on a high-profile book deal by one of the alleged victims.

The Mohave County Attorney's Office did not immediately offer a comment but is expected to reply to the court in its own filings.

Clad in a bulletproof vest, Jeffs sat quietly during a hearing in a Kingman court on Friday as a judge took under advisement an earlier request to dismiss the incest charges, leaving only the sexual misconduct charges. The FLDS leader is charged there with sexual misconduct with a minor and incest as an accomplice, accusing him of performing child-bride marriages.

The judge also took under advisement a request for a subpoena seeking medical records in one of the cases.

A prosecutor with the Arizona Attorney General's Office raised the possibility that evidence from the raid on the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch in early April might be used to bring additional charges against Jeffs.

Timothy Linnins told Judge Steven Conn that both his and the Mohave County Attorney's Office had spoken with Texas authorities about the raid. He did not go into details regarding what evidence might have been found or what additional charges might be brought against the FLDS leader.

Outside of court, Piccarreta said that if evidence from the Texas raid was brought into the case, he would most likely argue the search and seizure of evidence from the ranch was illegal.

Indictments