Deseret News | Jury finds Jeffs guilty

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Jury finds Jeffs guilty

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Mongo | 9:54 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

The real abuse I see every day from folks from the "Twin Cities" (Hildale and Colorado City) is in the way they abuse the laws of the land and get away with it. Our grocery stores are full of those folks using their WIC vouchers and Food Stamps that they have obtained through lies and deceit. There are many businesses in So. Utah will not take checks from the cities because they never get paid. We watch them speed through our towns with truck loads of underage workers who are denied schooling and have to work. Come live down here for awhile and you will see plenty of sanctioned abuse. If Joseph Smith were alive, they would all be excommunicated for fraud.

Cricker | 9:59 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

Glad Warren went down. He is a great pretender sent by Satan to destroy the one true restored church. Now if Heavenly Father will provide us with a real prophet the true restored church can get back on its feet. The FLDS is the real church of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor.

Denise | 10:17 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

I understand the questions of why others were not prosecuted in this case. Maybe now they will -- meantime a very powerful man has been taken down, and hopefully it will have a domino affect and save so many other repressed and abused people.

Comments continue below

just a thought | 10:34 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

Jeff's clan and the Kingstons are known for child abuse and horrible forced underaged marriages but many clans are not. Many people CHOOSE to live in plural marriage and are well educated and feed and cloth their own children with out Govt. assistance. Who am I to judge them for their choices? They should have the right to live together just like people who chose to "Shack up" with one or more persons and not marry. In fact, in a LOVING plural marriage, children are well cared for by many moms who are as protective as other parents. To know God is to let go of our reigns and allow Him to guide us where He will. That takes faith and confimation by the spirit that it is right. Jeff's denied his followers that right. I'm NOT a polygamist, but I support freedom to choose ones path. I don't support homosexual lifestyles either, BUT I can not deny someone elses right to live that way. I teach my children that God would not have us live certain ways, but if they chose a different path, than I will still love them though there choices may cause me great pain.

begs the ? | 11:01 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

can anyone help me out here. honestly. why was jeffs on the nations most wanted list? was it for arranging a marrage? doesn't this happen in other cultures right here in the us? [it does in greek, itialian, arabic and etc] was it for practicing polygamy. i know other cultures practice without fear..think islamic communities in chicago.
it cant be for the age of the couple, since it's lawful for a 14 and 19 yo to marry in utah. surely not for his religion. do we really want to decide which religous practices are acceptable in a court of law? and lastly, why a life sentence?
i believe children need to be protected.
i believe the law should be applied fairly and uniformly. since it's not, i think jeffs is being made a martyr in a very real sense. no, i don't belong to any polygamous community, [i happen to be monogamous] but this whole thing smacks of a witch hunt.

Puzzled | 11:03 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

As members of the "Real" LDS church, we still believe in Plural Marriage. It is doctrine (D&C 132) waiting to be practiced in another time and place. I think this case, even though it is rife with forms of abuse that were not present in all 19th Mormon plural marriages, is an excellent opportunity for us to look at polygamy in a current context and see how it really looks and feels. Especially to women and girls.

I personally find it offensive and wrong. There is no possible justification or 'glory' in marrying more than one woman. I would not like it if my wife had another husband.

jj | 11:07 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

to wake up & see the abuse,

Well said, and I agree. Organize community help.

The children deserve MUCH better than this.

Phil | 11:19 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

You guys sure love your neighbor in Utah. Wasn't Jeffs just doing what he was raised to believe? The whole jury stuff will possible lead to a miss trial, ruled of coarse by an upper court.

Mary | 11:34 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

I wish the mormon faith would take a look at the Jeff's situation and realize that their beloved prophet, Joseph Smith, did exactly what Jeff's did. For some reason mormons they don't want to believe that---it's called brainwashing. Being raised in the mormon religion---I am grateful to have not let the brainwashing I received as a child within the mormon faith continue with me into adulthood. FLDS, mormons, it's all the same.

anonymous is a State thing!!! | 11:37 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

Hey check this out; Persons who are at least 18-years of age are considered adults and do not need parental or guardian consent to obtain a marriage license. Minors between the ages of 14 and 17-years of age must have written parental consent on the official form signed in the presence of the county clerk, or have an order from the Texas district court authorizing the marriage. Minors under the age of 14-years are not allowed to marry.

And this;

TOPEKA, Kan., May 5 (UPI) -- A bill setting 15 as the minimum legal age for marriage has received final legislative approval in Kansas.

Kansas is the only state with no age requirement. Gov. Kathleen Sibelius is expected to sign the bill, the Wichita Eagle reported.

Interloper | 11:39 p.m. Sept. 25, 2007

I am heartened by most of the responses on this thread because they hold Jeffs responsible for his conduct as his flock's 'god on Earth.' However, there are apologists for Jeffs here, too. They are offering some really bizarre reasoning that boils down to 'protect Jeffs at any cost.'

As for the person who claims the verdicts will be overturned on appeal, I doubt that. All of the elements of the crime of rape as an accomplice were met. Ms. Wall was coerced, did not consent and there was more than a three-year age difference between her and her putative husband. The people who keep obsessing over whether force was used are missing the point. Force is not necessary for the conviction.

I do not think the putative husband or Ms. Wall's parents will be charged. And, I believe that is correct. Their autonomy was next to non-existent once 'The Prophet' ordered them to do as told.

Age, is a state thing | 12:05 a.m. Sept. 26, 2007

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative,
What?!? My first comments was removed, Why?

My info came off the web! Check out the LAW in Texas and Kansas for yourself. JC

Emma | 10:16 a.m. Sept. 26, 2007

Many here don't seem to know their own church history. Warren Jeffs was just "following the prophet" who did exactly the same even though underage marriage was just as bizarre then.

John Haverty | 10:21 a.m. Sept. 26, 2007

Not that I support statutory rape, but it should be known that in America in the late 1700's, it was not uncommon for the wives of men to be 13.

And in a modern sense, who cares if a man has more than one wife as long as they all agree? Its a private contract between agreeing adults.

jj | 10:26 a.m. Sept. 26, 2007

I wonder if Jeffs will be able to post bond, until the sentencing phase begins (in Nov)?
I hope that the flight risk thing, enters into this equation !!

Heather | 2:11 p.m. Sept. 26, 2007

Just a little history lesson for everyone. The LDS church was restored in the 1800's, not the 1700's. Many of the early leaders had multiple wives as a way of caring for the women of the church because in those days, women had no rights without a husband and there were not enough men to go around. A woman could not own property, livestock, anything, she had no legal rights - that was by US gov't laws, not church laws. The solution was consensual adult plural marriage, which was outlawed by the US gov't as an excuse to prosecute the church and arrest influential leaders. One of the tenants of the LDS church is to obey the laws of the land. Men did not abandon their wives when the law was passed, but the leadership tried very hard to make sure that no new plural marriages occured. When what is now the FDLS church broke off they continued plural marriage, and has obviously perverted even their own religion over the years. Early plural marriage, no matter what your veiws on it, bears no resemblance to what Jeffs does now. Religion is not the issue - child welfare is.

Kristof | 8:45 p.m. Sept. 26, 2007

its good at least that this whackjob got convicted but again im a little confused what the REAL goal behind it was.. granted i believe all ppl who rape or are accomplices to rape should be sent to jail and/or castrated.. but did they want to get him for polygamy or what? i agree that if you wish to root out a false prophet you must shed light onto his falsehoods and if that was the objective they failed.. if it was to convict him of rape i agree they need to go after all consenting members who helped the cousin rape her.. there is no excuse to hurt children, women, or animals in my eyes and religion is the furthest thing from an excuse for any wrong act.. just my 2 cents on the whole thing. I think its a bit odd how the case went through but I suppose thats why I'm not a lawyer.. If there is any sort of higher power I don't believe that they would approve of any such acts as what he has done.. I don't dissaprove of polygamy.. I believe one can love many different people.. so dont call me a bigot..

DEBATER | 1:30 p.m. Sept. 28, 2007

===

Continuation of Literary Efforts/Work: research, fact/fiction, or both and disclaimers.

W. Jeff was found guilty of:

"ABUSE OF FORCING IDEALS" ON A 14 YEARS OLD CHILD

and

ABUSE OF FORCING IDEAL-PRIORITIES-FALLACIES ON A 14 YEARS OLD CHILD

OR

ABUSE OF FORCING "IDEAL-FALLACIES" ON A 14 YEARS OLD CHILD

in response to mary | 7:10 p.m. Sept. 29, 2007

well in response to mary's comment joseph smith did not do what jeffs did. prophet joesph smith did not molest or abuse little girls there was simply not enough men to go around in our religion we believe in not having sex until we are married and how would prophet smith do so he being the leader people would think all he said was lies. mary you may want to call it brainwashing but that is not what the church is. also i am very disgusted at the fact that jeff used a religion to justify what he did only a true pig could do that.

Perversion | 6:29 p.m. Nov. 20, 2007

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!

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7 photos

Jud Burkett, Pool, Associated Press

Warren Jeffs, left, and his attorneys react to the guilty verdicts rendered Tuesday afternoon during the polygamist leader's trial in St. George. Jeffs was found guilty of two counts of rape as an accomplice.

Gallery (7 photos)

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Jury finds Jeffs guilty