From Deseret News archives:
FLDS girl's attorney refuses to testify before grand jury in Texas
"I asserted my attorney-client privilege," Natalie Malonis told the Deseret News on Thursday.
It led to a problem in Wednesday's proceedings. San Angelo Judge Barbara Walther had to be called for a brief hearing, Malonis said. The judge ultimately ruled that there was not sufficient grounds to compel her to testify.
Malonis has been involved in a legal spat with her child client, Teresa Jeffs. The daughter of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs is demanding a new lawyer, saying in e-mails made public that Malonis is not acting in her best interests.
"Right now, in my eyes, to me you feel like an enemy to me," Jeffs wrote to Malonis. "I hear that you are subpoened (sic) and what do you think I would think of that? I feel like I am trying to be my own attorney right now trying to win against you because you are doing so many things that are not in my best interest."
When an Austin appellate court and the Texas Supreme Court ordered the hundreds of FLDS children taken in the April raid on the YFZ Ranch to be returned to their parents, Jeffs was exempted. Malonis said at the time it was because her client was an identified sex abuse victim. She was returned to her mother with special conditions, including no contact with her father and a man named Raymond Jessop, whose relationship to Jeffs has not been disclosed.
Malonis said it was her obligation to refuse to testify.
"The client has to be able to communicate with an attorney and know that those communications are kept confidential," she said.
She did worry that by making her e-mails public, Jeffs may be waving attorney-client privilege.
"That's what I'm afraid of," she said. "If that keeps happening, at some point the judge will compel me to testify."
The normally secretive grand jury proceedings have become very public because of the legal tug-of-war between Malonis and Jeffs. Malonis has been criticized for her actions and has even been escorted to and from court by police because of death threats she said she has received.
A number of FLDS women and girls were seen going into the Schleicher County Courthouse on Wednesday to give testimony before the grand jury. Law enforcement officers also testified. The grand jury is expected to meet again next month.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com
Recent comments
None of all the talk matters. Is Malonis Good or Bad? It doesn't...
amberrose | July 24, 2008 at 3:55 p.m.
Malonis does not get paid for this work she has been doing. She is a...
Shellseeker | June 27, 2008 at 6:54 a.m.
I think they should give Jeffs a new attorney. I guess there needs...
John Lambert | June 26, 2008 at 11:36 p.m.
- Crimes up against gays, religion 8:55 a.m.
- Ready to retire? Index can help 8:51 a.m.
- Atom smasher sends beams 2 ways 8:35 a.m.
- Beckham promises to return to MLS 8:33 a.m.
- Astronauts take spacewalk No. 3 8:26 a.m.
- Stocks climb on home sales report 8:21 a.m.
- 4 U.S. die in Afghan attacks 8:19 a.m.
- 8 women set out to ski to South Pole 8:18 a.m.
- Iraqi lawmakers amend election law 8:08 a.m.
- Schumer: Dems ready to go-it-alone 7:57 a.m.
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
206 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
195 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
155 - BYU records with win
130 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
129 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
101 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
99 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93
A little after midnight Wednesday morning, about 21 hours ago as I write...
There's a lot of reason to leave your plastic home as you shop:
To "Anonymous | 8:34 a.m. " what facts don't conservatives care about? Is...
I thought FBS schools were always supposed to be FCS schools. Kudos to Weber...
A single payer system is the best way to go.
The loonie liberals will come out and say that one of these is justified,...
winning a shootout against a backup keeper. This is not the way to decide a...
Let's give the Mayor elect a chance, most she can do is raise our taxes.
We were there when REAL played their inaugural game. We were in our living...
If we count the coaches who played for BYU versus those who played for Utah,...
And just where is Johnny Harline playing ball these days? He's another...
This man has never spent time in Utah. It is difficult discussing religion...

