FLDS Leader, Warren Jeffs, Indicted on Charges in Texas

Hollywood script writers keep trying to write the conclusion to the inevitable mini-series scheduled to air on a television near you, but the main characters keep adding to the plot. As promised in previous blog posts I have written in weeks past, the legal dramas involving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) in Texas are far from over. Yesterday, FDLS leader Warren Jeffs and four of his followers were indicted in Eldorado on charges of felony sexual assault of a child, and one was additionally charged with the crime of bigamy.

Most people already know the story of the FDLS and its polygamist leader, Warren Jeffs. He has already been convicted of being an accomplice to rape in Utah and is awaiting trial in Arizona for other charges related to abuse of a child. There is no doubt, this guy certainly made the rounds while gathering teenaged brides and his attorneys are now picking up some serious frequent-flyer miles.

During the raid of the FLDS ranch that took place back in April, members of law enforcement seized photos of Warren Jeffs engaged in intimate hugs and kisses with underage girls. They also found a journal in which it was documented that Jeffs married his fifteen-year-old daughter to a man nearly twenty years her senior.

All of this evidence could be used to show that Jeffs has violated Texas state law. Texas does not allow a girl younger than seventeen to consent to sex with an adult, and the state does not allow for multiple marriages.

This case has raised many questions over the extent to which Americans have the right to follow the lifestyle that they choose. However, most people agree can agree on one point … when children are involved in a situation, the dynamics change. At Bertolino LLP, we have attorneys who specialize in the delicate matters of family law. If you find yourself in a difficult situation involving custody, marriage, or other such emotional issues, please contact us and let’s see how we can help.