Jeffs jurors winnowed; trial to start
 
By Nancy Perkins
Deseret Morning News
Warren Jeffs

Warren Jeffs

ST. GEORGE — Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs will know by midmorning which of 28 Washington County residents will become part of the jury that will determine his fate.

After four days of reviewing questionnaires filled out by 230 of the 300 county residents summoned to jury duty, attorneys interviewed jury candidates on an individual basis. Dozens of potential jurors were dismissed before reaching that process, and more were excused after undergoing the one-on-one interviews.

Fifth District Judge James Shumate and attorneys on both sides took part in questioning the potential jurors, asking them to clarify their written answers or expand on them.

Several possible jurors said during interviews that they knew Jeffs was the prophet or leader of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, which teaches its members that polygamy is a sacred duty. A few people were tossed out early in the interviews after admitting they recently read or watched news accounts of the case.

One of the final potential jurors interviewed was a middle-aged man from Ivins, a small community outside of St. George. When questioned about his attitude toward polygamy, the man, who said he was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he wasn't for it or against it.

"I don't really have an answer for that," he said. "It might be a good thing for some people."

Although Jeffs is not on trial for polygamy, which is illegal in Utah, the subject is an important component of the trial, said a member of Jeffs' defense team. The FLDS believe that plural marriage is a commandment from God and that the prophet is the one person who arranges those unions through revelation.

Eight jurors and four alternates will be selected this morning. Attorneys will argue several pre-trial motions before the trial begins at 1:30 p.m. The jury will be instructed first, with opening statements to follow and then the first witness in the case. It is expected to last until Sept. 21 or possibly several days beyond that, the judge told several jurors selected for the final pool.

Jeffs, 51, is charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice for 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 the intimate relationship that would follow.

Jeffs has been isolated in the county jail since he was extradited to Utah following his arrest on I-15 near Las Vegas in Aug. 2006.

Shumate issued an order on Tuesday that requires the jail to make special accommodations for Jeffs so that he can receive visitors and make phone calls after hours since he will be in court all day.

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