Warren Jeffs Trial

Warren Jeffs turns into Bat Boy

Just sitting in my office scanning the news tonight, and what did I see? It wasn’t the amazing story in the Weekly World News that caught my attention (Bat Boy Sues Batman in Paternity Suit). It was the photograph. Never thought I would see a pool photo from the trial of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs…

Warren Jeffs Sentencing

Warren Jeffs attorney Walter Bugden and media. St. George - Polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs was sentenced Tuesday, November 20, 2007 after being found guilty on two counts of rape as an accomplice, in St. George, Utah. Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was found guilty of two counts of rape as an accomplice for allegedly coercing the marriage and rape of a 14-year-old follower to her 19-year-old cousin in 2001. ; 11.20.2007

Warren Jeffs Trial, The Verdict

St. George - Warren Jeffs trial. The polygamous sect leader was charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice stemming from a marriage he officiated involving a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin. nate carlisle, tom smart, christopher onstott

We sat around for twelve hours on Monday and there was no verdict. On Tuesday the jury re-convened and eventually came to a decision. The word spread quickly among the media waiting outside the courtroom. There was a pool photographer inside the court, and the rest of us gathered around the door waiting for attorneys,…

Warren Jeffs Trial, The End pt. 1

camera equipment in the courtroom for warren jeffs trial

I never wrote about the last days of the Jeffs trial. When the verdict came down I drove home and went into chill mode. It was a long time to be away, working this story. It took a couple days to get it all out of my head. So now, two last posts on the…

Warren Jeffs Trial, Going Native

The courtroom where the trial of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs is taking place is a tiny place. So small they’ve had to assign seats. If you have a pass, you’re guaranteed a seat. There are about a dozen green passes for Warren Jeffs’ FLDS followers. There are a bunch of tan media passes. The…

Warren Jeffs Trial, Damned to Heaven

Covering polygamy, every journalist stands on different ground. There are some who seem to think it is their personal duty to bring down Warren Jeffs. There are some who try to remain objective and see all sides of the issue. There are some who seem to think that the government is unfairly persecuting a religious…

Warren Jeffs Trial, Naming the Victim

The Warren Jeffs' trial in St. George, Utah. Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice for allegedly coercing the marriage and rape of a 14-year-old follower to her 19-year-old cousin in 2001. victim's attorney greg hoole speaks to reporters, handing out a photo of the victim, which he says was taken 7 months before her marriage (though the timeframe is in dispute)

From the beginning of the Warren Jeffs trial, no photos were taken of the alleged victim (a girl who at the age of 14 was married to her 19-year-old cousin). We saw her on the stand and we saw her daily in court sitting with her husband and her lawyer, watching the proceedings. A judge’s…

Warren Jeffs Trial, notes

Things I made note of during the trial… After the jury went into deliberations, the alleged victim in the case approached two photographers to thank them for their work covering the trial. One told me he didn’t make any response (as doing so could have been considered a sign of bias). One of the pool…

Warren Jeffs Trial, remote cameras

The first day of Warren Jeffs' trial Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, in St. George, Utah. Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice for allegedly coercing the marriage and rape of a 14-year-old follower to her 19-year-old cousin in 2001. Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune

I’m told that when Judge James Shumate approved the use of remote cameras in the courtroom for the Warren Jeffs trial, it was unprecedented. The photo above shows a camera pointed at the defense table and one at the podium where attorneys presented their arguments. These cameras were triggered via wireless from the “cry room.”…

Warren Jeffs Trial

FLDS followers of Warren Jeffs. Nate Carlisle. St. George - Warren Jeffs trial. The polygamous sect leader was charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice stemming from a marriage he officiated involving a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.

Warren Jeffs Trial

Camp Warren

Warren Jeffs Trial, Jennie Pipkin

The Warren Jeffs' trial Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007, in St. George, Utah. Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice for allegedly coercing the marriage and rape of a 14-year-old follower to her 19-year-old cousin in 2001. Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune

Things got very interesting Tuesday at the trial, as FLDS members took the stand to testify in their prophet, Warren Jeffs’ defense. This was an unprecedented view into their insular society. The first witness was Jennie Pipkin, who brought her iPod, which was loaded with FLDS music and sermons by Warren Jeffs. The sermons alone,…

Warren Jeffs Trial, More Warren

There are only so many ways to photograph a guy sitting in a chair listening to testimony. The above photo was taken with a 400mm lens. The one below, a 300mm. You have to look for photos with storytelling content. At the moment I took this photograph of Warren looking down, witness Rebecca Musser was…