| Greg Abbott's determination leads to Warren Jeffs' polygamy trial Monday | |
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Edward Lane Wichita Falls Law Enforcement Examiner Examiner.com | |
The determination of Wichita Falls, Texas native Greg Abbott has led to the trial of polygamy prophet Warren Jeffs Monday. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott was quoted in Time Magazine as pledging to prosecute the FLDS polygamists in West Texas to the full extent of the law. Under Abbott's strong leadership evidence gathered in a 2008 raid of the Yearning for Zion polygamist compound resulted in the indictment of leader Jeffs and several of his FLDS followers. Abbott's office has co-operated with local prosecutors from Schleicher and Tom Green counties in working on the cases. The Time Magazine article of 2008 said Abbott made his pledge to prosecute the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints polygamists after reviewing the evidence obtained by Texas law enforcement authorities in April of 2008. Wichita Falls Department of Public Safety troopers and Child Protective Services officials participated in the raid along with Texas Rangers and other law enforcement officials from all across the Lone Star State. Evidence collected in the dramatic raid will reportedly be presented to the jury which will be selected Monday in San Angelo, Texas. Headline News, the television network which recently covered the Casey Anthony trial, will also be on hand to cover the Warren Jeffs trial. Photographs seized during the April 2008 raid were released at a child custody hearing on May 23, 2008. Indictments accuse Jeffs of marrying and sexually assaulting girls ranging in age from 12 to 14. Jeffs was 52 years of age at the time the indictment alleges he committed the offenses. Jeffs is facing a second jury trial in October of 2011 on a bigamy indictment which was also returned by a Schleicher County, Texas grand jury. Five other members of the polygamous sect have also been indicted. Wichita Falls attorney Richard Sutherland represented one of the children who was taken by CPS in the raid. A previous conviction of Jeffs by a Utah jury was later reversed by the Utah Supreme Court. Edward Lane graduated from Midwestern State University with a bachelor's degree in history and Baylor University School of law with a juris doctorate degree(law) before passing the Texas Bar Exam and being licensed as an attorney in Texas. A prosecutor for more than 20 years handling murder, child abuse, drug and sexual assault cases, he lost only one felony jury trial. Prior to attending law school Edward worked as a reporter for the Wichita Falls Times and Record News. | |
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Examiner.com Originally published July 23, 2011 | |
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