| Washington County attorney says he's ready to put Jeffs on trial Attorneys for Arizona, Utah, agree to give Washington County first chance | |
|
By Patrice St. Germain patrices@thespectrum.com | |
HURRICANE - When Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, steps foot in Utah again, he will be put behind bars without bail. Once Jeffs arrives, Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said he will bring him to court within 48 hours for an initial appearance. "We are ready to go to court on these charges," Belnap said. Jeffs, 50, has a court date this morning in Las Vegas for an extradition hearing. He faces charges in Utah and Arizona for allegedly arranging marriages between young girls and older men who are members of the polygamist communities in Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz. where the FLDS church is based. He also faces federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Wednesday, representatives from the attorneys general offices from Utah and Arizona, as well as local county attorneys, met via conference call to determine who would be the first to put Jeffs on trial. A press release from Belnap's office states that the decision to litigate the Utah charges first was largely based on two factors: the gravity of charges faced by Jeffs in Utah and the fact that Utah law allows for a higher bail than Arizona. Belnap sought and was granted a court order on Wednesday by 5th District Court Judge James Shumate ordering Jeffs to be held temporarily without bail. "I really appreciate that the court recognized there is a flight risk," Belnap said. Since his arrest, Jeffs has been held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center rather than a federal prison because the federal charges have not been served. Jeffs' flight from law enforcement officials began last year after he was indicted by a grand jury in Mohave County on two felony charges of sexual conduct with a minor and one charge of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. In April of this year, Belnap's office filed felony charges against Jeffs for two counts of rape as an accomplice following an investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Rewards for Jeffs' arrest were posted by the Utah and Arizona Attorney's General offices. In May, Jeffs was placed on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list and the reward from that agency went from $50,000 to $100,000. Despite numerous Jeffs sightings, it was a traffic stop by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Monday night that led to his arrest after the 2007 Cadillac Escalade in which he was a passenger, was pulled over. Belnap said deputy attorney Ryan Shaum will represent his office in Las Vegas today. If Jeffs waives extradition, he will be transported by the Washington County Sheriff's Office to Purgatory Correctional Facility. If Jeffs fights extradition, Belnap said it would require a governor's warrant to have him brought to Utah, which could take a month or two. "The initial appearance will be within 48 hours of Mr. Jeffs' arrival," Belnap said. Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said his office is prepared for the transportation, housing and court security of Jeffs and said his office has been going over protocols and fine-tuning details. "I expect this will be the highest profile situation in Washington County, but I have absolute confidence we can deal with this effectively," Smith said. Smith declined to comment on specific details pertaining to transportation, housing and court security but did say he has already asked for help from the St. George Police Department to provide perimeter security around the courthouse. "Mr. Jeffs will be housed appropriately for an individual with his notoriety," Smith said. Belnap said he expects Jeffs' attorneys to challenge the no-bail order but said his office would put on evidence that would maintain the ruling. | |
|
TheSpectrum.com Originally published September 1, 2006 | |
| Back | |
| For more information email: | |
