"Mormon" leader convicted of child sexual assault

[Geoff]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 2404.story

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Polygamist Warren Jeffs was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting two child brides after a whirlwind trial in which he insisted on representing himself, only to remain silent through much of the proceedings and present just one witness — a member of his sect who gave an extended Sunday school lesson on its beliefs.

The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints stood stone-faced as a verdict of guilty on two counts of sexual assault of underage girls was read. The jury of 10 women and two men deliberated for 3½ hours.

Earlier in the day, Jeffs stood mute during his closing argument, staring at the floor for all but a few seconds of the half-hour he was allotted. At one point he mumbled, "I am at peace," and said no more.

Throughout the trial, Jeffs, 55, contended that his religious rights were being violated and that God would seek revenge if the proceedings continued.

The sentencing phase began after the verdict was announced, and Texas' attorney general said it could take three days. Jeffs could face up to life in prison.

Prosecutors used DNA evidence to show Jeffs fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl. Prosecutors also played an audio recording of what they said was Jeffs sexually assaulting a 12-year-old, and they played tapes in which Jeffs was heard instructing young women on how to please him sexually — and thus, he told them, please God.

The FLDS, which has at least 10,000 members, is a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism and believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. They see Jeffs as God's spokesman on Earth.

Police raided the group's remote west Texas ranch in April 2008, finding women wearing frontier-style dresses and hairdos from the 19th century. At the Yearning for Zion compound, police also saw underage girls who were clearly pregnant. The call to an abuse hotline that spurred the raid turned out to be a hoax, and more than 400 children who had been placed in protective custody were eventually returned to their families.

But authorities brought sexual assault and bigamy charges against a dozen men from the sect, with Jeffs the highest-profile defendant. All seven who came to trial before him were convicted, receiving prison sentences of between six and 75 years.

Jeffs represented himself after firing seven high-powered attorneys in the six months leading up to his trial. He refused to give an opening statement as the case began, only to launch into a 55-minute sermon defending polygamy while objecting to a witness. He refused to cross-examine the state's witnesses.

After the prosecution rested, Jeffs rose for a surprising opening statement in which he compared his plight to that of Mormon leader Joseph Smith Jr. and America's civil rights movement of the 1960s.

[Bella Fortuna]

Fucking nutjob. Good news.

[Rob]

Good job on them. Why is Mormon in quotations? Is something about him not Mormon?

[Feck]

Good job on them. Why is Mormon in quotations? Is something about him not Mormon?

it's there to indicate the extra m is not a typo

[Thinking Aloud]

Good job on them. Why is Mormon in quotations? Is something about him not Mormon?

It's a splinter Mormon sect.

[Rob]

Good job on them. Why is Mormon in quotations? Is something about him not Mormon?

it's there to indicate the extra m is not a typo

Fair enough, I didn't think enough. As a side note - it looks like your pup is interested in getting at your rodent.

It's a splinter Mormon sect.

True but they still believe in a conman named Joseph Smith.

[hadespussercats]

Polygamy is one issue-- child brides entirely another.

I don't have a problem with the former. I am against the latter.

Seems like this guy was using his weird religion has a handy excuse to get him some disenfranchized, underage tail.

[Tero]

Speaking of nutjob, he gets to keep his testicles!

[hadespussercats]

Speaking of nutjob, he gets to keep his testicles!

Well... I'm also against castration as punishment, so... I can't really fault them there.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Good job on them. Why is Mormon in quotations? Is something about him not Mormon?

it's there to indicate the extra m is not a typo

Fair enough, I didn't think enough. As a side note - it looks like your pup is interested in getting at your rodent.

It's a splinter Mormon sect.

True but they still believe in a conman named Joseph Smith.

Along with another called jeebus crust. A fringe group of a fringe group. And, as Hitchens has said often, it is the mainstream, moderate religions that add legitimacy to the nutjobs that fuck babies and blow up skyscrapers.

[Mad Militant]

Speaking of nutjob, he gets to keep his testicles!

Yeah and that's a down right damn shame! They need to fill a swimming pool full of alcohol then build a giant razor slide I would say about 50 feet long. Tie his hands behind his back, shackle his feet and push!

[Thinking Aloud]

Polygamy is one issue-- child brides entirely another.

I don't have a problem with the former. I am against the latter.

Seems like this guy was using his weird religion has a handy excuse to get him some disenfranchized, underage tail.

They are separate issues, but the way the article, and no-doubt others, have framed it (opening for example with the phrase "Polygamist Warren Jeffs") you'd get the impression that one led directly to the other.

[Hermit]

Warren Jeffs was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting two child brides after a whirlwind trial ... Jeffs represented himself after firing seven high-powered attorneys in the six months leading up to his trial.

Considering that Jeffs kept firing his legal representatives shortly before the trial was to commence, and then asked for an adjournment so he could brief a new set, I think it's a bit of a misnomer to describe his trial a whirlwind one.

[Calilasseia]

Already posted elsewhere, but I thought the Ratz might like to queue up on this one ...

BBC News reports on Warren Jeffs, former leader of a fundamentalist sect, now sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in jail for sticking his wick into underage girls ...

Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting two underage followers he took as brides.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader was handed the maximum sentence possible.

Last Thursday, the 55-year-old was found guilty of forcing two girls into "spiritual marriages" and fathering a child with one of them.

The charges followed a raid on a remote west Texas ranch in 2008.

More from the above link. Including the fact that he was recorded on audio tape fiddling with a 12 year old, and that he spun the underage girls in his sect the line that Magic Man wanted them to pleasure him sexually.

Needless to say, there's a demotivator inspired by the case:



Yes, I'm a cynic. Bite me.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Mergeness enacted.