Jury Deadlocked In Polygamist Trial

Sect Leader Warren Jeffs Accused Of Sex Crimes In Arranged Marriage Of 14-Year-Old

(AP)  Jurors said Monday they were deadlocked on one of two charges in the case against the leader of a polygamous sect who is accused of sex crimes in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl to an older cousin.

The jury sent a note to the judge indicating it had reached an impasse in the trial of Warren Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jeffs is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice.

"We have a hung jury regarding the second count," the jury said in a note. "We do not believe further deliberation is needed. How do we go about it at this point?"

The judge advised them to look at their instructions and keep talking.

Jurors planned to work into the evening, court spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said.

The young woman in the case testified that she pleaded with church leaders to hold off the marriage because of her age but was told her "heart was in the wrong place." She said she sobbed through the ceremony and had to be coaxed to say "I do" and kiss her groom.

The groom, Allen Steed, however, said the young bride initiated sex within weeks of the ceremony. He insisted he never forced her to do anything.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people alleging sexual abuse.

Each count of rape by accomplice against Jeffs represents a time frame in the marriage. The first count covers April 23, 2001 - the day of their wedding - to May 12, 2001. The second count covers May 13, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2003.

Jeffs, 51, has led the FLDS church since 2002. Followers see him as a prophet who communicates with God and holds dominion over their salvation; ex-church members say he reigns with an iron fist, demanding perfect obedience from followers.

Jeffs was a fugitive for nearly two years and was on the FBI's Most Wanted list when he was arrested during a traffic stop outside Las Vegas in August 2006. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Jeffs is not charged with being a polygamist, and the three-year marriage between the cousins was monogamous. Still, polygamy casts a shadow over the case.

Polygamy advocates have long contended that the freedom to practice plural marriage as part of their religion is a civil rights matter. Members of FLDS, which broke away from the Mormon church, believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven.

The Mormon church disavowed polygamy in 1890 and excommunicates members found to be practicing plural marriage.

[flreason]

"Fireason...Do you have any idea what you just said or support I don''''t."
Posted by crzmeat at 03:39 PM : Sep 25, 2007
+ report abuse

Sorry, I''m used to writing business reports. Obfuscation rules the day.

What I said was that parents of kids under 18 shouldn''t be able to treat them like property or slaves. If they do, they should be prosecuted the way Jeffs was. I also said that having a bunch of spouses one at a time, like Giuliani for instance, isn''t much different than polygamy. But if states are going to allow polygamy, the person(s) with multiple spouses needs to have a legal will recorded so the courts won''t be tied up with everyone and their brother trying to claim the estate when daddy kicks the bucket.

[michellem99-2009]

USAyesturday..Yer dumb..I am legally blind.. It is azzes like ye that hurt us. Yer not my eye doctors..Legal blindness is what my doctor said..Yer blind in yer mind. You can''t relate to my world and I can''t yours.. Yer got computer access so look it up so in future yer don''t make an asre..I use a white cane. They break familes up..I told a bible believer about mormonism and he showed me thru God''s WORD how wrong that faith system was/is. I was becoming so unhappy that I wanted out. As a visually impaired lady they made my life a living hell and I met a gent who also wanted out. We got out. I have my platforms..IF THEY WILL SHUT DOWNS CULTS THEN THAT IS A STEP TOWARD THE THE LIGHT OF GOD AND A LOVING FATHER WOULD NEVER EVER HURT HIS CHILDREN...

[Krazcarl]

Fireason...Do you have any idea what you just said or support I don''t.

[flreason]

The legality of marriage at a young age with parental consent shouldn''t be a carte blanche for fundamentalist parents to treat their daughters like chattel, allowing them no say about their own bodies. Since this was involuntary, not only should Jeffs be held accountable, so should the parents!

Polygamy is another topic. The serial monogamy that is common with liberal divorce laws differs only from polygamy because the spouses are legally tied to only one partner at a time. Among consenting adults, I don''t see a good reason for prohibition. However, I do think that if states allow polygamy, they should require a valid will that establishes the disposition of assets in case of death of the "head of household."

[Krazcarl]

zootallures your just a ignorant troll you just catch a few of the new reades your pathatic but you know that...

[Krazcarl]

grumpass your an idiot you ever been to a funtamentalist church and see what power those preachers have it''s imence with the fear of eternal damnation if you don''t comply. This is pedofilia dressed up in chuch robes. The mormons are tring to hide there dark sinister roots whis isn''t surpising.

[perimogi]

Somebody explain why liberals demand that consenting adults be allowed to do what they want, and yet will not allow polygamy? I am against polygamy, and I think Jeffs is guilty, but the two-faced approach to this issue is a liberal fiasco.

[carabbit1]

Is not the question put here whether or not rape was done? Even if she did become more sexually interested as the "marriage" progressed, do we not as a society say that under a certain age, it does not COUNT? You can marry with parent consent at a very young age, yes. But that is with parental consent. Where were the parents? Did they consent WITHOUT religous fevor? How can a child know what she really wants at that age, for the rest of her life? A lot of adults don''t know for sure if marriage is for them. How could you expect a child, especially a sheltered one to know? And what of the cousin, did he have a good idea of what this entailed? Or was he just as much of a victim? For was he not just as sheltered?

[diverinnl]

grumpas, I''m with you in principle on this one and moraly, I agree. Forced marriage, even among adults, should be illegal. Unfortunatly, if we get into the mode of limiting children between parents and dictating who can marry who (among consenting adults of course), we''re not far off from China with regards to human rights.

[grumpas]

I can''t agree with Polygamy. But, if they are consenting adults and were in no way coerced that is their business! But, I really object to these Mormon sects! Who use and hide behind religion. Who force young children into marriages, young boys out of the flock and any number of dispicable things a normal God fearing person wouldn''t do. Have 50 to 100 children and etc. We all know who pays for this nonsense you and I in taxes! There isn''t any way most of these can afford that many children. What most of them are doing is criminal. The man wouldn''t want me on his jury. I would convict him.