Warren Jeffs will face Arizona courts on polygamist charges

Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs is set to have his Arizona hearing on May 19.

Jeffs, 52, faces four counts of sexual conduct with a minor and four counts of incest. He is accused of arranging marriages between teenage girls and adult males in Utah and Arizona.

I don't really see how being accused of underage incest marriages is anything more than a pretense considering he is a Fundamentalist LDS church leader and was already convicted of two counts of rape in Utah. I think I can pretty much say, without assumption, that he is guilty.

Jeffs entered an Arizona courtroom on Wednesday wearing a bulletproof vest. Reports also said that he was in good spirits. I don't see how a man who was already on trial in Utah and charged with four counts of incest and sexual conduct with a minor can be in good spirits. I do see why they made him wear a bulletproof vest, but it won't stop anyone from shooting him in the face.

Also, Matt Smith, Mohave County attorney, filed to dismiss one charge of sexual conduct with a minor and one of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor during a 2005 case and the judge agreed to dismiss them. No wonder lawyers have such a bad name. Teenage girls had to endure sex with older men that Jeffs arranged and now he may have some of his charges dismissed. Where is the justice in that?

One of the girls whose case was dismissed said she wouldn't testify against Jeffs - not like it will matter considering that Jeffs is already going to serve time in Utah. His sentence in Utah is to serve a total of 10 years to life. I hope he gets life.

There is no justification in marrying off a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin. I understand that children are having romantic experiences younger and younger these days, but not with their cousins.

Jeffs became the leader of the FLDS Church in 2002, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder-Day Saints renounced polygamy over a century ago. I think the Mormon Church should sue Jeffs for making its religion look like a redneck cesspool.

Whether or not Jeffs gets indicted in Arizona, he is still indicted in Utah. When he finally does serve his time, I hope the rest of the extreme fundamentalists will realize that you can't force your children into inter-family marriages. There is nothing wrong with staying true to your religion, but no child should be put in harm's way because there is no justification in that.