Final jury selected in Jeffs case
 
By Nancy Perkins
Deseret Morning News
 
ST. GEORGE — After a half hour of deliberations, a jury has been seated in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs.

The panel of seven women and five men were sworn in and instructed to avoid discussing the case, going to any location mentioned in the case, or expressing any opinion about it until final deliberations begin.

Judge James Shumate dismissed the jury until 1:30 p.m., when the trial will begin with jury instructions and opening statements. The judge will hear several pre-trial motions from attorneys this morning that deal with admissibility of certain evidence and other matters.

The final jury was selected from a qualified roster of 28 potential jurors culled from an initial pool of 300 candidates. Eight jurors and four alternates were named, although the jurors were not informed which slot they were assigned.

Among those selected are several members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; a young mother with small children at home; an unmarried man in his 20s who works at a store selling children's clothing; a middle-aged woman who works in management; and a Realtor, who said he is now working a second job because the market has slowed in Washington County.

Jeffs, 51, actively participated in the jury selection process. He smiled at the jurors when he entered the courtroom and discussed the candidates with his attorneys, referring often to notes he took during the individual interviews held earlier this week.

Shumate cautioned the news media that the seated jury and those who were called, but not chosen for duty, cannot be approached until the trial is over.

Jeffs is charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice for his role in conducting a spiritual marriage between an unwilling 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin. During a preliminary hearing, the now 20-year-old woman testified that she objected to the union and did not want to participate in marital relations with her husband.

The trial is expected to last up to a week. Media interest in the case is high, with more than two dozen news agencies seeking credentials to cover the trial.

E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published September 13, 2007
 
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