This will be a very short diary, and I can only offer a very few links including a local TV news channel's website: www.kcbd.com for verification. Today, in West Texas, child rapist Warren Jeffs was found guilty of sexual assault of a child in connection with his "spiritual marriages" to underage girls.
During the 6 pm newscast just now, the station announced that a San Angelo, Texas, jury has convicted Warren Jeffs, the son of the founder of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, of polygamy charges.
According to this Arizona newspaper's story:
SAN ANGELO, Texas — A Texas jury convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs of child sexual assault on Thursday, in a case stemming from two young followers he took as brides in what his church calls “spiritual marriages.”
The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints stood stone-faced as the verdict was read. Jeffs, who acted as his own attorney, stood mostly mute for 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 peace,” and said no more. The only noise in the courtroom was the creaking of wooden benches brimming with spectators.
Jeffs, 55, had claimed his religious rights were being trampled on and that God would seek revenge if the trial continued. He now faces up to life in prison. The sentencing phase of the trial was starting after the verdict, and Texas’ attorney general said it could take three days.
Read more: http://azdailysun.com/...
A Scripps-Howard News Service story from The Republic includes the following:
During closing arguments just after noon Thursday, Jeffs, head of the polygamy-sanctioning Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, stood silent before the jury for 24 minutes, gazing into space.
Then he said, "I am at peace," and stood mute another five minutes before sitting down
In mid-afternoon Thursday, the jury asked to have a transcript provided of the testimony of a witness, former FLDS member Rebecca Musser, and to have equipment to be able to again listen to audio recordings entered in evidence.
Musser testified for hours about the importance in the sect of keeping recordings. The audio recordings included an alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl, the giving of sexual instructions to a group of girls and women, and the giving of religious instructions.
State Judge Barbara Walther denied the request for copies of the testimony, saying that specific parts could be read back to the jury by the court reporter in open court but not printed and given to the jury.
Jeffs faces life in prison.
This is the culmination of years of work in Judge Walther's court by the Tom Green County DA and his staff, and of The State of Texas since the raid on the "church's" compound in Eldorado.