| Texas in line for next trial with FLDS polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs | |
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Edward Lane Wichita Falls Law Enforcement Examiner | |
It's beginning to look like the State of Texas is all that stands between FLDS polygamist prophet and leader Warren Jeffs and his freedom. The man who inherited twenty wives and has countless children will probably be sent to Texas after Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed an extradition warrant Tuesday evening. A provision in the warrant allows Utah to bring the church leader back to the land of the Utes after Texas tries him. There has been some speculation among Utah authorities it might be difficult to re-try the polygamist chief on the charges which have been thrown out based on problems with the jury charges. A spokesperson for Governor Herbert said attorneys for Jeffs have the right to challenge the extradition to Texas by filing a writ of habeas corpus. Defense lawyers are evidently not anxious for a trip to the Lone Star State for their client as they have said they will oppose any extradition to Texas. Because of the announced intention to fight extradition a timeline is difficult to compute at this time how soon the reluctant polygamist will return to Texas soil. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtlef said Texas has the strongest case against Jeffs. "The Texas case will be easier to prosecute because it is based on Jeffs' personal actions. The Utah cases are based on Jeffs being an accomplice," Shurtleff said, explaining why Utah was willing to allow the Lone Star State to try its case before Utah tries the polygamist a second time. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott initiated proceedings to extradite the polygamist icon on Tuesday, July 27, according to spokesperson Jerry Strickland. Greg Abbott was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. Texas law enforcement authorities charged Jeffs with bigamy, aggravated sexual assault and assault based on alleged incidents with underage girls at the Yearning for Zion Ranch near San Angelo, Texas. These offenses allegedly occurred as early as 2005 and involved marriages to underage girls. The 54-year old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has recently been enjoying a winning streak through the courtrooms of Arizona and Utah. While languishing in an Arizona jail enjoying taxpayer-funded meals and accomodations, the future looked bleak for the polygamist Jeffs. He had already been sentenced to a prison stretch by a Utah jury. Whatever Arizona sentenced him to would be icing on the cake for prosecutors. Or so it seemed at the time. Then suddenly Arizona dismisses its charges only a short time before trial. Good news for Jeffs who was returned to Utah to serve out his penitentiary sentence there. A few weeks later the Utah Supreme Court reversed Jeffs' conviction and sentence in the beehive state and suddenly only Texas sounded interested in prosecuting America's most famous polygamist. Jeffs current address is the Utah State Prison, but probably not for much longer. While Utah tries to decide whether or not it has the will to re-try the nation's leadying polygamist, Texas has taken a major step by obtaining the governor's signature on the extradition warrant and agreement. Jeffs may be strolling into a Texas ambush after Lone Star State juries have convicted and sentenced several of his polygamist colleagues already. One of the FLDS polygamiists was hammered with a 75-year sentence. At the time of the raid on the YFZ compound by Child Protective Services workers and DPS troopers, 440 children were taken into custody. Wichita Falls attorney Dick Sutherland generously donated his time pro bono to represent one of the children taken by CPS. Several of the CPS workers and DPS troopers were also from Wichita Falls, Texas. The reversed Utah convictions were based on Jeffs performing marriages between underage girls and older men. | |
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Examiner.com Originally published August 14, 2010 | |
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