Second day of jury selection begins in Jeffs trial

By Matthew Waller San Angelo Standard-Times

Mejo Okon /Special to the Standard-Times A courtroom drawing shows Warren Jeffs (left) with his lead attorney, Deric Walpole, during the first day of jury selection for Jeffs' trial at the Tom Green County Courthouse in San Angelo. The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child.   Patrick Dove/Standard-Times Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott talks to members of the media after the first day of jury selection for the trial of Warren Jeffs. Asked in court if the trial was starting too soon, Abbott said the case hadn't gone to trial soon enough.   Patrick Dove/Standard-Times Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, steps out of a Tom Green County Sheriff's Department vehicle on the east side of the Tom Green County Courthouse Monday. Jeffs is being tried on two counts of sexual assault of a child. SAN ANGELO, Texas — Jury selection entered its second day Tuesday in the trial of Warren Jeffs, the head and prophet of the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who is accused of two counts of child sexual assault. More than 200 prospective jurors were to report to the Tom Green County courthouse at 9 a.m., the remnant of approximately 280 called Monday. Jurors who were not immediately disqualified Monday were given questionnaires to complete. They will be examined Tuesday by defense and prosecution in part on their answers. The goal is to reduce the jurors to a 12-member panel with two alternates. Jeffs' trial is expected to take a month. He was represented Monday by Deric Walpole, but several attorneys he has attempted to fire were also in the courtroom. At a pretrial hearing Friday, 51st District Judge Barbara Walther told the attorneys they will remain available for representation and denied a motion by Walpole, who was engaged by Jeffs only days before, to delay the trial for 180 days. Walpole requested a continuance on Monday, and Walther denied that motion, too. The opening session Monday was attended by Attorney General Greg Abbott, who sat at the prosecution table with special prosecutor Eric Nichols. The charges against Jeffs are first- and second-degree felonies with a potential maximum sentence of 119 years. This is a breaking news story. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

gosanangelo.com Originally published July 26, 2011

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