| Jeffs Indicted FLDS prophet faces criminal charges in Arizona | |
| The Eldorado Success | |
Warren Jeffs, self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is a wanted man this week, following a two-count felony indictment last Thursday in a Mohave County Arizona courtroom. Jeffs stands accused of arranging a marriage and officiating over the wedding between a 16 year-old girl and a man more than ten years her senior. While he is not charged with a sex crime, the specific charges, or the names that the State of Arizona assigns to the charges, would lead one to believe otherwise. Officially, the grand jury accused Jeffs of Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Conduct with a Minor. In actuality the charges mean that Jeffs ordered one of his 16 year-old female followers to marry a 28 year-old man, who happened to already be married, and then officiated over the service, leading to unlawful sexual contact between the man and the minor girl. Still, the charges come as a major blow to the practice of polygamy within the FLDS community. Jeffs, 49, has failed to appear and defend himself in a series of civil lawsuits brought against him, his church and the United Effort Plan Trust, a charitable trust operated by Jeffs and his closest associates. Up until now the most serious allegation leveled at the FLDS prophet came last year when his nephew, Brent Jeffs, accused Warren Jeffs in a civil lawsuit of sexually abusing him when he was a young boy. The prophet has yet to answer court summons to appear and defend himself in that lawsuit and others. Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran said that he was expecting criminal charges against Jeffs but was surprised to learn about them from the press. “I would have thought that the warrant would be delivered to the appropriate agencies before it was released to the press,” Doran told the Success. “As it was I had to hear about it from you.” Lawmen in Utah and Arizona echoed the sentiment, saying that it would have been easier to serve before news of the warrant was made public. “I heard about it on TV,” one Utah lawman said on condition of anonymity. “By the time I got the word, Warren Jeffs was gone, if he was ever here in the first place.” Locally, a caravan of vans and SUVs was seen leaving the YFZ Ranch shortly after news of the warrant was made public. Sheriff Doran said he was aware of the mass departure but didn’t know if Jeffs was riding in one of the vehicles. “That happened before we received a copy of the warrant,” Doran said. The Sheriff told the Success on Tuesday that he has been surprised by the media’s reaction to the warrant. “Everyone is calling wanting to know when we’re going to storm the gates at the YFZ and asking why we haven’t already done so,” Doran said. “We will serve the warrant when and if we get the opportunity,” Doran stated. “People like to compare our situation to Waco...well, I hope we all learned a thing or two from Waco.” “The last thing I’m going to do is tell a bunch of reporters what my plans are. That would be crazy,” Doran added. “My duty is to protect and serve the citizens of this county and not to worry about some reporter’s deadline.” The charges facing Jeffs are the equivalent to a state jail felony in Texas, just one step above a misdemeanor, but they come with a hefty bond. If and when Jeffs is apprehended he will have to post a $500,000 bond before he can be released. If convicted of the charges, Jeffs could face prison time ranging from four months to two years. The indictment stemmed from the grand jury appearance of a 16 year-old girl who was subpoenaed to testify. The girl, whose identity is being withheld, told KUTV reporter Rod Decker of Salt Lake City that she feared retaliation from within the FLDS. Reaction to the indictment was predictably mixed with most FLDS faithful refusing to recognize Arizona’s authority over their prophet. Former church members and anti-polygamy activists, however, have a different opinion. Ross Chatwin, the man who last year defied Warren Jeffs order to leave his home on UEP land after the prophet excommunicated him from the church said he was delighted that the Arizona court had finally taken action against Warren Jeffs. But, Chatwin was skeptical that Jeffs would ever be brought to justice. “I don’t think we will ever see Warren again,” Chatwin stated. “I think he will slink off and hide like the coward he is.” Ben Bistline, FLDS historian and author of The Polygamists: A History of Colorado City, Arizona agrees with Chatwin’s assessment. “Oh, I don’t think we’ll ever again see Warren around here,” Bistline said. “And, I doubt if you ever see him in Texas. He’s going to lay low.” | |
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MyEldorado.net Originally published June 16, 2005 | |
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