Unsealed papers say Jeffs quit as prophet

Court documents link

Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs renounced his role as "prophet" of the polygamist sect in a series of phone calls to family and followers, and again in a videotaped jailhouse conversation with his brother, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.

But he later retracted his renouncement, saying he had "experienced a great spiritual test."

Those were some of the revelations in the court documents unsealed by the judge handling the criminal case. Jeffs was recently convicted in St. George's 5th District Court of rape as an accomplice stemming from a marriage he performed between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.

The documents were originally filed under seal in July by Jeffs' defense attorneys, who successfully fought to keep the jailhouse statements sealed before the trial. Judge James Shumate had said the jailhouse recordings were so inflammatory they could have affected the FLDS leader's right to a fair trial.

However, the series of court filings dating back for months were suddenly made public Tuesday without explanation when they were posted on the Web site of the Utah State Courts.

A hearing had been scheduled next week to discuss news media requests for unsealing documents in the Jeffs case. It is unknown if that hearing is now moot. Attempts to reach defense attorneys and prosecutors on Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

State courts spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said all documents have not been unsealed in the Jeffs case, and that may be addressed next week.

"In general, when documents are sealed it's to serve a purpose," she said. "When they're unsealed, it's because there's no need any longer."

In a memorandum filed in support of a motion to limit the jailhouse statements, defense attorney Wally Bugden said Jeffs began experiencing serious medical problems in January. Jeffs was rushed to Dixie Regional Medical Center where he was treated for an undisclosed medical problem and returned to the Purgatory Jail.

"On January 24, 2007, the Defendant made a series of phone calls to family and church members in which he related that when he was 20 years old, he had been immoral with a sister and a daughter," Bugden wrote. "He renounced his role as the Prophet, explaining that the Lord revealed to him that he was a wicked man and has not held the priesthood since he was 20 years old."