Jury close to verdict at polygamist leader's trial

By Daphne Bramham Vancouver Sun

Photograph by : Getty Images Warren Jeffs waits for the jury to reconvene for deliberation in his trial in St. George, Utah Monday. ST. GEORGE, Utah — After nearly 11 hours of deliberating Monday, the jury in the Warren Jeffs trial asked to go home for the evening shortly after 8 p.m. Mountain Time. Judge James Shumate confirmed with the jury foreman that five men and three women believed they were close to a verdict, but wanted to "sleep on it." Jeffs, the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is charged with two counts of being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl. The alleged victim, who is now 21, claims that Jeffs forced her to marry her 19-year-old first cousin. She said he then urged them to "go forth and multiply" at the end of the wedding ceremony and, later, told her to "repent" and give herself to her husband "mind, body and soul" after she told the prophet that her husband was touching her in ways that she didn’t like or understand. Her husband has never been charged with the rapes. The penalty for the offence ranges from five years to life in prison. The jury began deliberations Friday, but broke for the weekend after only two hours. The jurors will return to court at 9 a.m. Tuesday. At mid-afternoon on Monday, jurors told Shumate that they were hung up on the second of two charges against Jeffs. "We do not believe further deliberation is needed," they wrote in a note to the judge. "How do we go about it at this point?" The judge suggested they reread the jury instruction about how they are to conduct the deliberations and then see if it is possible to reach a verdict. Even if Jeffs is acquitted, he will not leave the court a free man. He will be transported to Arizona where he faces five counts of sexual conduct with a minor, four counts of incest and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct. In addition, he is wanted on two federal counts of unlawful flight from prosecution. dbramham@png.canwest.com

canada.com Originally published Monday, September 24, 2007

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