Ex-FLDS member: Warren Jeffs "partially crazy"

(CBS News) 

The trial of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has taken another strange turn. Jeffs stunned the courtroom by abruptly breaking his silence Friday.

After sitting silently during his sexual assault trial, CBS News Correspondent Hattie Kauffman reported, Jeffs suddenly sprang out of his seat Friday to make an objection - an objection that went on for 50 minutes and ended with a threat.

On "The Early Show," Elissa Wall, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Jeffs' compound, said she's not surprised by Jeffs' outburst.

Wall said, "I couldn't expect anything less from such an irrational, honestly, partially crazy leader as I knew him."

Wall managed to escape Jeffs' compound. She wrote a book called "Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs."

Friday's outburst came just one day after he fired his legal team, choosing to go it alone. Jeffs has dismissed seven attorneys since December.

Emily Munoz Detoto, one of Jeffs' former attorneys, told CBS News, "One might view this as him saying that 'This is my battle and I want to represent myself.' No one else could understand his religion, but as far as his reasoning, we can't speak to that."

Seven other sect leaders have already been convicted. If Jeffs is found guilty, he faces life in prison.

Wall said Jeffs' firing of his defense team is also unsurprising considering his narcissism.

She said, "He really does believe he is God, and I really do think that he believes that he is better than everyone else. And even in his statements to the judge about him wanting to have a pure defense I don't know if he thinks he did anything wrong. Therefore he just wants to defend his religion and status as the god-like figure of the religion."

When asked what kind of man and religious figure Jeffs is, Wall responded, "I was exposed to him my entire life and he really did display a lot of narcissistic behavior. People have to understand, he was groomed at such a tender age to become the leader and to become the god-like figure within this closed community. So he really did grow up with a lot of idealistic beliefs about himself and about his power over the community. As far as how he treated the people, we all feared him greatly and he demanded very much complete obedience and absolute respect."

Laurie Levenson, professor at the Loyola Law School, said of Jeffs' outburst in court, "No longer is it really a trial. He just wanted an occasion to give a sermon."

Shouting, Jeffs accused the court of violating "sacred ground," saying "the religious persecution must cease," and warning that God would bring "sickness and death" unless the trial was stopped.

Jeffs stood trial in 2007 as an accomplice to rape. His conviction was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court because of faulty jury instruction.

Then in 2008, FBI agents raided the compound of the break-away Mormon sect led by Jeffs after allegations that children were being forced to marry.

Texas is now trying Jeffs for two counts of sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors claim they will play audio tapes of him raping a 12-year-old girl.

Levenson told CBS News, "Religion is not on trial here. You can have a religion but that doesn't entitle you to rape a 12- or 13-year-old. So the prosecutors want to keep the focus on that crime."

When asked about life for the girls on Jeffs' compound, Wall said they're treated like they don't have an identity from birth.

"People have to really understand how these women are raised," she said. "... They really are just property to the community, and especially the men, and they're all about serving the men and fulfilling the men's life, and these women grow up with no rights really and no knowledge of what they should have as far as being a woman, having the rights of what we have here in America."

Wall said she hopes the trial will reveal the truth of life within the FLDS community and Jeffs' influence.

"(I hope they see the) truth about what Warren has done and what he is capable of. And really I hope that at the end of the day that we can make an impact, that we can change the reality for the people within the closed communities," she said. "The FLDS is one of many of religious sects that live like this."

[noserpicoinutah]

THE LAW OF THE LAND IS 14 YEARS OLD WITH CONSENT OF PARENT...READ UTAH CODE...WHAT ABOUT OUR BABIES UNDER 14 WHO ARE BEING USED FOR PROSTITUTION AND PORN...WHAT ABOUT YOUR OWN 14 YEAR OLDS WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE....GOD HATES HYPOCRITES.....

[sushiroll]

Seriously??? You think any real mother would "consent" to their child being raped by a man 3 times her age? Really?? That's no "mother," that's aiding and abetting a crime (rape.) And yes, some 14-yr-olds ARE sexually active, but unless their partner is an adult, it's not against the law. Responsible parents wouldn't "consent" to their 14-yr-old daughter having sex. I am the mother of 14-yr-old triplets and none of them has even had a boyfriend or even kissed a boy yet (thank God!) I can't imagine sending them off to be "bedded" by a pedophile using religion as his cover-up and approving of such. That's rape, and it's against the American law. Those mothers are aiding and abetting the crime to their own children! If y'all don't like the LAWS in the USA, go live somehwhere else!!!! (But please, moms, get sterilized if you're going to allow this. Also consider the genetic abnormalities that have recently been discovered running rampant in FLDS communities b/c of inbreeding.)

[DannyHaszard]

A cult does not require any set number of leaders, only the inerrant belief that they are the ONLY TRUE RELIGION. Nothing else matters once that ego kicks in and messes with their heads. Once that engages, it usually takes a life-changing event or change of circumstances to get them to reconsider their beliefs.

The definition of a destructive religious cult is like alcoholism-if booze controls you instead of the other way around you are an alcoholic.

Religion can be benign then there are hard core fundy groups that want to rule and control you like hard core alcoholism.
The Watchtower society Jehovah's Witnesses as an example is not benevolent and won't let you leave their organization in peace.
If they try to ruin your reputation and break up your family for trying to get out then they are a cult!
-

Danny Haszard born 3rd generation Jehovah Witness

[barbaram99]

It is not just the FLDS but other relegious bodies/cults/movements as well. They have places where the public can't attend and that raises red flags. The LDS are there are well. Anyone that claims he/she talks to God raises the same flag. Men who control the females as if they have no brain and must do as the man saids. Men brain wash the ladies in to complete control. The LDS told its female members to vote againt it and they handed out a pamplet against it. They wanted to keep the woman under the man's control. I member the ERA that we were to vote on and thr LDS told me how to vote and they are against it. I am 56. I was a LDS and left it years ago.

[JustSayIt]

And some people think Mitt Romney should get elected. Unreal.

[scrapper1979]

Mitt Romney is not a member of FLDS, he's Mormon. Not the same thing.

[memestryker]

Jeffs is a pedophile, pure and simple, and he saw that fundamentalist religion, which brainwashes its victims, could be used to put him in the driver's seat. He is an evil psychopath, with all the narcissism and sociopathy that entails. Pushing young boys out so he can prey on young girls, brainwashing those born into this evil cult so they don't know they even have choice, punishing toddlers for being toddlers--all of this is just pre-meditated predatory behavior where he believes the end justifies the means.

[3thingsuneed]

Just as crazy as David Miscavige the head of Scientology. all about control and power

[memestryker]

Or the Pope (head of Catholic church) or the Southern Baptist Convention or the Suni Muslims or any group with leadership who think they have all the answers. One of the reasons we have separation of church and state (as Madison, father of the US Constitution asserted) is so no church will get its tendrils into government and be able to control local, state, or federal government. In the case of Jeffs, we have local government, including LEOs, under his control. That's one reason why strict separation of church and state is essential if the Republic is to survive.

[matrix0900]

It's been my experience over the years that all of these religions, no matter what faith are filled with mirades of totaly
insane people. I personally believe that the biggest threat to the survival of mankind, is religion, and Jeffs is just one more symptom.

[BillsCatz]

"Partially crazy." she sez. I'd lean more toward full-blown, rat-poop crazy as a bedbug. Behold the true psychopath, so insane that he thinks he's right and the rest of the world is totally wrong. Best place for this fella is in an 8X10 cell, and the State of Texas will be happy to arrange that for him.

[2pennysworth]

Last sentence should read "Maybe we are not so well educated and wise after all!"

[robbyr2]

Sorry, Ms. Wall, I don't have any need to buy your book. If the prosecutors are telling the truth- end of story. Of course, they are the same bunch who said dozens of children were raped and abused in Texas too.
I would prefer just the report of the trial. Thanks.