St. George, Utah – Polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs was found guilty Tuesday of two counts of being an accomplice to rape.
Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, blinked when the verdicts were read but showed no emotion. None of his followers in the courtroom reacted.
Jeffs, 51, was convicted of two counts of being an accomplice to rape related to a marriage he conducted in 2001 between the victim, who was then 14, and Allen Steed, 19.
As the three-member defense team walked out of the courtroom, lead attorney Walter Bugden said only, “Of course we’re disappointed.”
A jury of five men and three women had deliberated about three hours Tuesday with a new member. One of the eight jurors was excused Tuesday morning for a reason that was not disclosed. She was replaced with a woman who was one of four alternates. The original jury had deliberated for about 13 hours.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavowed polygamy decades ago, but the fundamentalist sect that Jeffs leads continues the practice.
Jurors said it was the young age of the reluctant bride and a careful reading of the law that led them to their verdict.
Jeffs’ influence over the victim was key to their decision, two jurors said.
“We all had the opinion he was pretty much her only ticket for getting out of the marriage,” said Jerry Monk, 36, a city park employee.
Ben Coulter, 26, a retail employee, added: “He was the only one who could have released her. He ultimately held all the keys to say, ‘You don’t have to be in this marriage and there won’t be any consequences.”‘
The victim tearfully reached out to her family after the trial.
While two of her sisters testified for the prosecution, her mother and other relatives had been on the defense list of possible witnesses.
“I understand and respect your convictions, but I will not give up on you,” the victim said, speaking of her mother. “This trial has not been about religion or a vendetta. It was simply about child abuse and preventing further abuse. I hope that all FLDS girls and women will understand that, no matter what anyone may say, we are created equal.
“You do not have to surrender your rights or your spiritual sovereignty. I know how hard it is, but please stand up and fight for your voice and power of choice. I will continue to fight for you.”
Daniel Medwed, a University of Utah associate professor of law, said he was “mildly surprised” at the verdict. He said he thought the facts of the case were not a perfect fit for the charges, and that lesser charges – possibly solemnizing an illegal marriage – might have been more appropriate.
“Feeling he had done something wrong is a little bit of a stretch to saying he was an accomplice to rape,” he said.
Elaine Tyler of the Hope Organization, a group that opposes forced marriages in polygamist communities, said she hopes the verdict will prevent young women from being told to marry against their wishes.
“It represents hopefully a change in that polygamist community,” she said.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff reacted to the verdict in a telephone call from Salt Lake City.
“It sends a message to all the other victims of Warren Jeffs that there’s justice,” he said, referring to underage women who have been married to older men.
Shurtleff maintains that some FLDS followers will stick by Jeffs but that others will move to replace him and move away from child-bride marriages.
In Mohave County, Ariz., Jeffs is charged with eight counts related to two teen brides, including the victim in the Utah case.
“It is too early to speculate on what will happen next,” said Mohave County Attorney Matthew J. Smith. “The first thing we need to see is what type of sentence Warren Jeffs receives in Utah.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20.
