Prosecutors building case against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs

The Washington County Attorney’s Office plans to rely on three primary witnesses and just over 1,000 documents to build its case against polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs.

Prosecutors disclosed that information in a court document filed Tuesday in response to a request from Jeffs’ attorneys.

Jeffs, charged with being an accomplice to rape, is scheduled for a Nov. 21 preliminary hearing before 5th District Judge James L. Shumate.

The key witness against Jeffs is a woman identified as “Jane Doe.” She alleges that despite her objections, Jeffs directed her to enter a spiritual marriage to a much older man.

Jeffs, 50, is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a polygamous sect based in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.

Jane Doe also is suing Jeffs for unspecified damages for the mental anguish she experienced as a result of that marriage.

In addition to Jane Doe, the state plans to call Shauna Jones and Matt Fischer, deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, as witnesses in the case.

The filing also says prosecutors may call other witnesses culled from the documents, which include statements by Jeffs, audio and video recordings, photographs and other unspecified items “seized, discovered and collected” by the state.

Read Another Article

Utah judge accused of religious bias against LDS Church
French woman facing child abduction charges in Canada to enter guilty plea

Related News Articles Topic(s): Polygamy Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Polygamy Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog