Trial of Mormon fundamentalist leader Jeffs delayed again due to massive amount of evidence

MySanAntonio.com  -  Associated Press     January 31, 2011

Trial for polygamist leader Jeffs postponed again

PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press


SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs won't stand trial in Texas until at least July after hiring a new lawyer, who argued Monday that the "awesome" amount of evidence in the criminal case is too voluminous to prepare a defense anytime soon.

A judge agreed and postponed Jeffs' trial on charges of having sex with two children at the Yearning for Zion ranch for a second time. The trial was moved from February to July 25, and Jeffs' new attorney cautioned that he may ultimately request an even later date.

State prosecutors requested that Jeffs stand trial before the end of the year.

Jeffs, 55, arrived in a West Texas courtroom with prominent Fort Worth, Texas, attorney Jeff Kearney, who told state District Judge Barbara Walther about others describing to him boxes of evidence that, if stacked floor to ceiling, could practically fill the courtroom.

Walther, sounding understanding, told Kearney that she believed there were some 13 terabytes of evidence also stored digitally.

"I've had things described to me that make me think this is an awesome task," Kearney said.

Jeffs, the ecclesiastical head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is accused of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and bigamy. Prosecutors say Jeffs had sex with two children, one under age 14 and the other under age 17.

Since being extradited to Texas in November, Jeffs has appeared in court with four different attorneys and had his trial date pushed back twice. During his previous court appearance earlier this month, he fired his last attorney after only a few hours.

The evidence that Kearney is tasked with sorting through includes thousands of pages taken from the Yearning for Zion ranch during a weeklong raid in April 2008. State authorities entered the ranch in search of evidence of underage girls being forced into polygamous marriages. More than 400 children living there were temporarily seized in one of the largest custody cases in U.S. history.

Records taken from the ranch includes journals written by Jeffs. His writings indicate strict control over the smallest details of how residents were to live, from how the collar on the women's dresses should look to how high drapes should hang off the floor. Jeffs also decided who would be married to whom, according to documents seized by authorities.

State prosecutor Eric Nichols added even more new evidence Monday — digital discs of case reports from state Child Protective Services, each labeled with a girl's name. Walther admitted the discs and ordered them sealed.

The Yearning for Zion ranch raid nearly three years ago left a dozen men in the church facing charges that include sexual assault and bigamy. Seven have been prosecuted since last year, and all were convicted. Only in one case have jurors deliberated more than two hours.

Walther has presided over each of the trials. She told Kearney that while she understood the volume of records with which Kearney must now familiarize himself, she had to set a date.

"A lot of the facts of these cases are pretty simple," Walther told Kearney. "But I understand your problem."

Kearney has represented several newsmakers from his Fort Worth practice. They include convicted former Dallas state Rep. Terri Hodge, who pleaded guilty last year in a corruption case, and a Texas woman who struck a homeless man in 2001 with her car, then drove home with his mangled body jammed in the windshield and left him to die in her garage.

The next pretrial hearing for Jeffs was set for March 25. Kearney indicated that he may seek to push back that hearing, too.

Walther also set an Oct. 3 trial date on the bigamy charge.

This article was found at:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Polygamist-sect-leader-Jeffs-back-in-Texas-court-986956.php

RELATED ARTICLES:

Trial will proceed for FLDS man charged with rape after polygamist leader Jeffs was convicted as accomplice to rape

Polygamous sect leader hires then fires lawyer so judge appoints standby counsel and delays start of trial

Polygamist cult leader's silence in Texas court results in not guilty plea to bigamy and child sex charges

Utah Supreme Court denies rehearing of conviction reversal in polygamous sect leader's accomplice to rape case 

Polygamist leader failed to delay Texas trial set to start January 2011, supporter says God approves of child brides 

Texas juries have convicted 5 Mormon fundamentalists from cult compound, 2 others pled guilty, leader Jeffs next to be tried 

Mormon polygamist cult leader Jeffs extradited to Texas to face charges related to child 'brides' and bigamy 

Utah Court allows extradition of Mormon fundamentalist leader Jeffs to Texas to face child 'bride' sex abuse charges 

Utah Court of Appeals suspends extradition of Mormon fundamentalist leader to Texas while it considers legal issues

Mormon polygamist cult leader's lawyer says Utah and Texas conspiring through extradition to deny his constitutional rights 

Mormon polygamist sect leader still fighting extradition to Texas where prosecutors have more evidence against him 

Utah sending Mormon polygamist leader to Texas to face bigamy, child sex assault charges 

Jon Krakauer's reaction to court's reversal of Mormon polygamist's rape convictions

Utah Supreme Court decides to not protect FLDS girls from forced marriage, overturns Warren Jeffs' accomplice to rape convictions

Child 'bride' key witness against Warren Jeffs stunned by court's reversal of rape convictions, fears for safety of FLDS children

Mormon polygamist leader jailed in Utah refuses to sign warrant extraditing him to Texas to face child sex charges

Extradition process started to bring jailed Mormon polygamist leader to Texas for trial after Arizona drops cases against him 

Former under-age polygamous bride tells all in book 

Catching 5 from West Texas polygamist ranch may require wide net 

Brother of jailed Mormon polygamist leader sentenced to 17 years for sex assault of child in forced 'marriage' 

Trial begins for brother of jailed Mormon polygamist sect leader, state seeks enhanced penalty for sex assault of child

Mormon polygamist accused of sexual assault wants evidence of polygamy and fraud excluded from trial

Evidence seized during raid on Texas polygamist ranch can be used in sexual assault trials

FLDS polygamist sentenced to 10 years for sexual assault of minor in forced 'marriage'

Mormon polygamist gets 33 years for child sexual assault, defense relied on ridiculous religious freedom argument

Second Mormon polygamist found guilty of child sex assault, jury doesn't buy defense claim of religious persecution

Third Texas polygamist jailed for sex assault, but FLDS spokesman says no contest plea was merely a legal tactic

Fourth Mormon polygamist from Texas compound guilty of bigamy and sex assault of child 'bride', jailed 75 years 

First legal finding that bigamy occurred at Mormon fundamentalist compound sees two more polygamists sent to prison

Warren Jeffs' FLDS Church and What I Left Behind

Jeffs's wedding pictures disgust

Texas seeks custody of teen Jeffs allegedly wed

Jeffs' role: Coercion, devotion?

Jurors: Girl’s age was crucial to decision in Warren Jeffs trial

About time, ex-Bountiful member says about Warren Jeffs conviction

Jeffs verdict irrelevant to followers, polygamist community

Sect papers reveal Jeffs total control of followers, even from jail

Religious Beliefs Should Not Protect Polygamist Warren Jeffs

Warren Jeffs Still Dominant Force Even After Conviction

Polygamist leader Jeffs still a force from jail

JEFFS BOMBSHELL: Says he was "immoral" with sister, daughter in jailhouse tapes

Listening to the Lord: Jeffs exerted 24-7 control over FLDS faithful

When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His Cult of Fear, and the Women Who Fought Back

New Book on Warren Jeffs' Polygamy Sect Provides Insight into Lives of Women Enslaved by Fundamentalist Group

Texas polygamist trial set to start, advocate says women nothing but pimps giving their daughters to perverts

Texas doctor protesting conviction of FLDS polygamist for sexual assault says law should allow sex with minors 

Hate mail from Mormon polygamists doesn't faze Texas lawmaker who crafted laws to protect girls from religious abuse