Teen bride in Jeffs trial says before wedding, she felt like she was 'getting ready f

NF Reporter · 09-14-2007, 11:35 PM

CourtTV - ST. GEORGE, Utah (Court TV) - A woman wiped away tears on the witness stand Friday as she described the "horror and despair" she felt the night before her arranged marriage to a first cousin conducted by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

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waltky · 09-27-2007, 07:27 AM

Just like the Mafia...

Behind Bars: Polygamist Prophet Still Reigns
Sept. 27, 2007 - Warren Jeffs may still control his sect from prison, former members say.

Quote:

Though Warren Jeffs is facing up to life in prison, the fundamentalist Mormon leader will continue to control the lives of thousands of his followers, people familiar with the polygamist sect say. Jeffs was convicted Tuesday of being an accessory to rape for coercing a 14-year-old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin. The verdict set off speculation over what will happen to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints if he is given a lengthy prison term.

But, former members say Jeffs will probably still be revered as the prophet, the leader of the sect who is regarded as God's voice on Earth. They said they expect Jeffs, for the time being, to continue to be a dominant force in the lives of the estimated 10,000 sect members who live along the border of Utah and Arizona. "For those who believe, he is a prophet anointed by God," said Dan Fischer, a former member who started a network to care for boys who were kicked out of the sect so older men could have multiple brides. "There is nothing that man can do to change that."

Fischer added, "Should he decide that someone should be ousted [from the sect], he can still pull that off from prison, just like a mafia boss can run the mob from jail." The polygamist sect broke off from the mainstream Mormon Church 72 years ago; under its rules, the prophet can only be replaced when he dies, said Brenda Jensen, another former member. It's still possible, she said, that Jeffs could anoint a successor or that a splinter group could form.

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WebKitten · 09-27-2007, 02:14 PM

Hi there,

I think this is absolutely horrible.
I can't believe in USA women and children are so "lawfully" abused.
American troops are defending Iraq and Who's going to defend the human rights here?

waltky · 04-04-2008, 06:47 PM

Jeffs losin' his kids...

Children removed from Jeffs' polygamist-sect compound in Texas
April 04, 2008 - A group of children have been removed from the West Texas compound created by polygamous religious leader Warren Jeffs, who was convicted of rape-related charges for marrying off a 14-year-old girl.

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The Associated Press reports that state troopers followed a bus that was carrying mostly girls. Last night authorities surrounded the 1,900-acre Yearn for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado, about 160 miles northwest of San Antonio. Search and arrest warrants were served today. A Texas Child Protective Services spokeswoman said officials acted after receiving a complaint.

Here's what the local Eldorado Success is reporting. The compound, built by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, consists of about 150 buildings and features an 80-foot-tall white temple. It occupies a former exotic-game ranch. Known as the FLDS, the congregation broke with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City after the Mormons renounced polygamy nearly 120 years ago.

In November, Jeffs was sentenced to two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison in Utah. He was convicted of being an accomplice to the rape of the 14-year-old, who wed her cousin in an arranged marriage in 2001. Jeffs still faces trial on similar charges in Arizona, where he is jailed. He's accused of being an accomplice to incest and sexual conduct with a minor because of two arranged marriages between teenage girls and their older male relatives.

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waltky · 04-17-2008, 07:21 PM

What a mess...

Polygamy Custody Hearings Chaotic So Far
April 17, 2008 - Lawyers For More Than 400 Children Taken In Raid Demand To Read Evidence

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A court hearing to decide the fates of hundreds of children seized from a polygamist retreat was off to a chaotic start Thursday as hundreds of lawyers in two different locations demanded to study the first piece of evidence before it could be introduced.

State District Judge Barbara Walther called a recess 40 minutes after the hearing began in what could be the nation's largest child custody case. She wanted to allow the 350 lawyers spread out in two buildings to read the evidence and decide whether to object en masse or make individual objections. The hearing resumed about an hour later.

The lawyers are representing the 416 children and dozens of parents from the Yearning For Zion ranch owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a renegade Mormon sect accused of forcing underage girls into polygamous marriages.

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waltky · 05-16-2008, 01:59 AM

Looks like they gonna set up shop in Colo.

FLDS reportedly buying land in Colo.
May 16,`08 -- Members of a polygamist sect have been acquiring property in a rural part of Colorado, a county sheriff said.

Quote:

Fred Jobe, sheriff of Custer County, told the Rocky Mountain News the group appears to be the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter-Day Saints.

Warren Jeffs, the group's leader, was convicted in Utah of forcing a teenage girl into marriage with her 19-year-old cousin. In Texas, authorities recently raided an FLDS compound and seized hundreds of children.

Jobe said the group does not appear to be breaking any laws in Colorado. "They seem to be always adding on, building, doing something around the places," said Jobe. "That seems to be an ongoing thing."

While polygamous marriages are not legally binding, plural relationships among consenting adults are not illegal. In Texas, authorities found evidence of teenage girls who were married to older men and became pregnant long before they reached legal age.

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