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RCMP prepare to visit U.S. as part of polygamy investigation The Canadian Press Date: Tuesday Aug. 9, 2011 8:24 PM ET VANCOUVER — The RCMP is preparing to head to Texas to look for more than two dozen brides from Bountiful, B.C., who were allegedly sent across the border as teens to marry older men, including a polygamous leader now facing a life sentence for sexually assaulting two teenage girls. The Mounties launched a new criminal investigation into Bountiful earlier this year after a constitutional case examining Canada's anti-polygamy law heard allegations of cross-border marriages in the 1990s and early...

Prosecutors seeking life in prison for convicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs closed their case with a final barrage of graphic audiotapes, records of 24 alleged underage brides and writings that ordered followers to "fight to the death" when police eventually came for him. The same jury that convicted Jeffs last week of sexually assaulting two of his child "brides" could now hand down their punishment early as Tuesday. Even in prison, he could continue to lead the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Among the final pieces of evidence was an audiotape of Jeffs having sex and...

Time for Jeffs' attorney to mitigate the penalty Lawyer: Religion to be defense * By Matthew Waller * San Angelo Standard Times * Posted August 7, 2011 at 9:56 p.m., updated August 7, 2011 at 10:43 p.m. SAN ANGELO, Texas — Warren Jeffs' trial could end this week, depending on what a defense attorney chooses to do for the punishment phase of the polygamous sect leader. The prosecution said it had about two solid days of testimony when the punishment phase of Jeffs' trial started late Thursday. Earlier that day, Jeffs, 55, the leader and "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church...

Former FLDS members testify through tears in Jeffs' trial * By Matthew Waller Scripps Newspapers * Abilene Reporter-News * Posted August 6, 2011 at 11:21 p.m. SAN ANGELO — Tears flowed from witnesses brought to testify against Warren Jeffs on Saturday. The 55-year-old leader of the polygamy-sanctioning Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints wasn't present when the man and woman struggled with emotions on the witness stand. After being convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child Thursday, with girls 12 and 15 years old, Jeffs has chosen to remain out of the courtroom and...

WARREN JEFFS TRIAL: State shows bed photos; Jeffs leaves court during testimony Jeffs leaves court during testimony * By Matthew Waller * San Angelo Standard Times * Posted August 5, 2011 at 4:06 p.m., updated August 5, 2011 at 9:56 p.m. SAN ANGELO, Texas — Warren Jeffs didn't want to be in the courtroom when the state presented evidence against him for the sentencing phase of his trial. His former lead attorney returned to represent him while Jeffs was voluntarily absent. So Jeffs, the leader and "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, didn't see...

Sentencing phase begins after Warren Jeffs found guilty * By Matthew Waller and Kiah Collier Scripps Newspapers * Abilene Reporter-News * Posted August 4, 2011 at 10:41 p.m. SAN ANGELO — With two guilty verdicts in hand, the state of Texas is pressing ahead into the penalty phase of the Warren Jeffs trial in San Angelo. After a 10-woman, two-man Tom Green County jury found the head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints guilty as charged of one count of sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child,...

A jury has found polygamist religious leader Warren Jeffs guilty of child rape. Jeffs, the leader of a radical polygamist sect of Mormonism known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (FLDS), was found guilty of forcing two teenage girls into "spiritual marriage," and fathering a child with one of them when she was 15. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Jeffs, who acted as his own lawyer, called only one witness in his defense. The witness was a fellow member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter...

Polygamy Meets Big Brother The West Texas jury deciding the fate of polygamy cult leader Warren Jeffs listened through headphones to 21 minutes of heavy breathing yesterday. Some in the room wept. Others held their hands over their mouths. The X-rated recording, a cornerstone of the state’s child-sex-assault case, allegedly chronicled Jeffs’ encounter with a 12-year-old girl, an episode that ended with the self-proclaimed prophet declaring, “In Jesus Christ, amen.” The jurors heard an almost inaudible voice. “Amen,” echoed the child. It got worse. According to prosecutors, Jeffs and his new “celestial wife” were not alone. A dozen of his...

What Warren Jeffs did to underage girls is morally reprehensible. However, it is nothing compared to Mohammed.

Prosecution close to resting case against Jeffs AP By WILL WEISSERT - Associated Press SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Prosecutors are still questioning their final witness in the Texas trial of a polygamist leader accused of sexually assaulting two girls he took as brides during so-called spiritual marriages. Texas Ranger Nick Hanna was on the stand for a second day Wednesday, and prosecutors were close to resting their case against Warren Jeffs. The 55-year-old leads the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven.

Jury hears tapes of polygamist discussing sex APBy WILL WEISSERT - Associated Press San ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Prosecutors played two audio recordings Tuesday of a polygamist sect leader instructing his 14-year-old "spiritual wife" and several other young women on how to please him sexually, and thus win favor with God. Warren Jeffs, 55, is head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. He is accused of sexually assaulting two girls, ages 12 and 15, he took as brides in what his church calls "spiritual marriages." A forensic analyst...

Whatever happens to Warren Jeff -- the media Is already guilty by Mike Watkiss azfamily.com Posted on July 31, 2011 at 4:53 PM Updated yesterday at 4:54 PM SAN ANGELO, Texas - The story of Warren Jeffs and polygamy in America did not start when Texas Rangers raided the YFZ Ranch and it will not end with Mr. Jeffs' trial here in San Angelo. The truth is, the history is long and the stories plentiful enough to fill-up libraries. But listening to many of the talking heads on the networks and cable shows these days, you would think that they...

Jeffs' rambling provides courtroom theater * By Kiah Collier * San Angelo Standard Times * Posted July 30, 2011 at 7:16 p.m. SAN ANGELO, Texas — We all expected Warren Jeffs' trial to be interesting. What we didn't expect was for it to get so interesting so fast. On Thursday, the first big bomb dropped. Jeffs fired his seasoned, high-profile defense team and delivered a mostly incoherent 30-minute speech in which he asked for more time to prepare the "pure defense" he said his attorneys could not provide. Jeffs firing his attorneys was surprising, but not necessarily an unexpected move:...

Canadians keep close eye on polygamist's trial Assault of minors — not polygamy — focus of trial, though bigamy case could follow By Thane Burnett ,QMI Agency First posted: Saturday, July 30, 2011 12:00:01 EDT AM Polygamy sect leader Warren Jeffs is now trying to get 10 more women to see things his way. They’re members of the Texas jury — along with two men — watching over his ongoing sexual assault trial. The case against the 55-year-old head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) — and tied to the polygamist community in Bountiful, B.C....

Judge says polygamist leader can represent himself WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press Updated 04:34 p.m., Thursday, July 28, 2011 SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs dismissed his high-powered defense team and began representing himself Thursday in a last-ditch attempt to delay the start of his sexual assault trial. With opening statements set to begin, the 55-year-old ecclesiastical head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints said he had spent extensive time training his lawyers, but they weren't able to present "a pure defense." He then pleaded for more time to prepare the case...

Motion to be heard in Jeffs' trial July 27th, 2011 @ 7:28am By ksl.com SAN ANGELO, Texas -- A jury has been selected, but the trial of polygamist religious sect leader Warren Jeffs won't have opening statements without at least one more hearing. And, a Utah woman whose testimony was central in a previous case against Jeffs is saying his case in Texas will be shocking. Jeffs' defense has filed a motion to suppress evidence. They argue that the evidence seized during a raid on the Yearning for Zion ranch in Eldorado, Texas, was not properly obtained. However, the same...

Warren Jeffs' Sexual Assault Trial Set To Start Monday By the CNN Wire Staff POSTED: Monday, July 25, 2011 UPDATED: 10:01 am EDT July 25, 2011 (CNN) -- Jury selection in the sexual assault trial of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs will begin in Texas on Monday, nearly a week after his motion to remove a judge assigned to him was denied. Jeffs is charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child and one count of bigamy stemming from a 2008 raid on a ranch operated by his church. Authorities raided the Yearning For Zion ranch near Eldorado,...

Flora Jessop never believed that Warren Steed Jeffs, the man she was taught to revere as son and heir of the "prophet, seer and revelator of God," would ever face justice -- let alone Texas justice. She didn't believe it when she was 13 and sexually assaulted beneath a smiling photograph of Jeffs inside the Hildale, Utah compound run by the breakaway Mormon sect where she was born to a polygamist family. And she didn't believe it three years later, when she was forced by leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) to marry...

Polygamist leader’s request to remove judge denied SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A visiting judge on Tuesday denied polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs’ second attempt to remove the West Texas judge overseeing his upcoming sexual assault trial, this time because of alleged bias after she made calls to inquire about progress in the case and accepted extra police protection because of threats associated with it. Judge John Hyde of Midland listened to more than five hours of testimony on Jeffs’ motion to recuse District Judge Barbara Walther during a hearing Monday but wrote a day later that much of it rested...

  COLORADO CITY, AZ (ABC 4 News) - Polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs of the FLDS Church is sending "A Warning to the Nation" that catastrophe awaits unless he is freed and the FLDS people get back control of the land in the United Effort Plan Trust. 600 Packets This warning reportedly targets members of Congress and the Obama Administration. Several sources in Colorado City, Arizona say Jeffs' followers mailed more than 600 packets to Washington D. C. The packets contained not only the Jeffs' warning, but also a 900 page petition signed by approximately 13,500 followers of Warren Jeffs. Of...