Arizona judge denies motion by Jeffs' attorneys
KINGMAN — Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs' attorneys will have to continue to deal with their frustration with the Mohave County Attorney's Office and Texas authorities.
Judge Steven Conn denied a motion Monday to strike parts of Mohave (Ariz.) County Attorney Matt Smith's response to Jeffs' motion to suppress evidence from the raid of the church's YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas.
Jeffs' attorneys, Michael Piccarreta and Richard Wright, filed a motion to suppress any evidence from the YFZ Ranch and prevent it from being used in the Arizona case against Jeffs in September. He faces criminal charges accusing him of performing underage marriages.
Smith has said numerous times that he has no plans to use evidence from the Texas raid in his case against Jeffs, but has not put that statement in writing.
Piccarreta argued in court on March 30 that Texas authorities prevented him from discovering when Texas law enforcement officers found out that the phone call that launched the raid of the ranch was a hoax. During interviews with three Texas law enforcement officers, authorities there would only allow the officers to answer questions about what happened during the raid.
The question is when did the Texas officers find out that the information was false and did they act with reckless disregard when they applied for the warrants to search the ranch, Piccarreta said last week.
He asked Conn to force the Mohave County Attorney's Office to stipulate which facts were true concerning the phone calls from the Texas raid or order the three Texas police officers to respond to questions about the phone calls.
Smith argued that Arizona had no choice as to which questions Texas law enforcement officers were allowed to answer. If Piccarreta and Wright wanted his office to stipulate as to which statements concerning the phone calls were true in lieu of reinterviewing the Texas law enforcement officers, he said he would be willing to do so.
Conn also denied Piccarreta's request to question Texas law officers further on Monday, but left the subject open to reconsideration by the court at a later date.
The denial was based on the fact that it was unclear weather the officers submitted to an interview with Piccarreta voluntarily or in response to a court deposition order. The difference between a voluntary interview and court ordered deposition could make a difference in whether the court could order a second deposition of the men.
Recent comments
we try to ignore that Utah has its bigamy problems to. and nothing is...
well | April 7, 2009 at 10:34 a.m.
To "Question": They did not know it was a hoax, and technically they...
Justice | April 6, 2009 at 6:39 p.m.
I think polygamist men, now that I am free, are nothing but lying...
Naomie | April 6, 2009 at 6:21 p.m.
- Cautiously optimistic Bernanke 1:22 p.m.
- TCU's BCS game missing something 1:18 p.m.
- Snowstorm sweeps across West 1:17 p.m.
- Pilots blame air traffic controllers 12:55 p.m.
- Senate confronts abortion in debate 12:46 p.m.
- 2 bombs kill 34 in Lahore 12:41 p.m.
- U.N. climate conference opens 12:29 p.m.
- Messy Monday morning commute 12:28 p.m.
- Stocks extend gains 12:06 p.m.
- Top 3 stay same in AP Top 25 12:05 p.m.
- Letters: Liberal because LDS
268 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
244 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
190 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
188 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
135 - Cougars going back to Vegas
128 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
117 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
98 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
98
Amazon.com, Target.com, Sears.com, Walmart.com, Kmart.com and...
That does it — I'm having an affair! Thanks to Tiger Woods, David...
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
Hey Boise Fan - BYU - One National Championship Boise - Zero National...
Until he started taking steriods. You may be missing Barry but I do not miss...
"because Max Hall hates me and I'm proud!!" This was my problem with all...
Carbon Dioxid is a Greenhouse gas Venus - Atmosphere = 97% Carbon...
BYU fans routinely packed the Holiday Bowl for many years. How many Utah...
You Zoobs....already explaining to everyone why Utah will win yet another...
This story is horrifying. I fill prescriptions for my family at that...
"Regardless, people with homosexual tendencies or any other tendency for that...
12:24 p.m. You state that "we've had cloud seeding for over 100 years"......
We don't need no stinkin' ethics reform. 'Specially not ordered by the likes...


