Polygamist sect leader extradited to Texas to stand trial

Polygamist sect leader extradited to Texas to stand trial

2010-12-02 01:16:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

DALLAS, TEXAS (BNO NEWS) -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs on Tuesday night was extradited from Utah to Texas to stand trail over sexual assault of a minor.

Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), is scheduled to be arraigned later this day in a San Angelo courtroom on two charges of sexual assault of a child and a charge of bigamy.

The sect leader is wanted in Texas in relation to two separate incidents. The first took place in January 2005 and involved a child who was younger than 17 yeas old. The other occurred in August 2006 with a child of 14 years old.

The bigamy charge stemmed from a July 2006 incident when he married a child of about 16 years of age while still married with another woman.

In Utah, the sect leader was convicted in September 2007 of two counts of being an accomplice of rape. Prosecutors alleged that Jeffs used his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marrying her 19-year-old cousin.

The FDLS leader was sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of five years to life in Utah. However, the conviction was overturned in July by the Utah Supreme Court after ruling that instructions given to jurors were mistaken.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed an extradition warrant in August at the urging of Texas Governor Rick Perry. Jeffs appealed the order and the extradition was halted until the Utah Supreme Court ruled on November 23 that the extradition will proceed.

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