More Trouble for Polygamist Prophet Jeffs

Imprisoned polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs, leader of the Mormon breakaway sect the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and two of his Texas followers added a new entry to their docket of legal woes Aug. 21 when each man was indicted on charges of bigamy.

Charges were filed on Jeffs and followers Raymond Merril Jessop and Michael George Emack -- each of whom was charged last month with sexual assault of a child in connection with the consummation of marriages to underage girls; Jessop and Emack turned themselves in to Schleicher Co. Sheriff David Doran and were released on $10,000 bond, reports the Houston Chronicle.

Bigamy is a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Meanwhile, in Arizona Jeffs' attorneys are trying to have charges of sexual misconduct with a minor that are pending against him dropped, arguing that excessive publicity likely tainted the grand jury that considered evidence against Jeffs, denying him his due process rights, reports the Kingman Daily Miner. Prosecutors failed to determine if grand jurors were biased because of media coverage, argues Jeffs attorney Mike Piccarreta. "If this is sufficient in this case, with all the publicity, then there is no right to a fair and unbiased grand jury," he said.

And, finally, Texas child protection officials have filed papers in court to dismiss custody cases involving 49 FLDS children. To date, the state has dumped about 150 cases, all of which arose from the spring raid at the FLDS Yearning for Zion ranch just outside Eldorado. Officials said they received a call -- later determined to be a hoax -- from a girl at the ranch who complained of being abused. That sparked a raid at the ranch and the removal of more than 400 children living there. The Texas Supreme Court later ruled that officials were wrong to remove the children without evidence that individual children were in immediate danger. Indeed, now Jeffs' attorney Piccarreta says he will fight to have suppressed any evidence seized from the ranch in April. Texas officials should have know the call was a hoax, he told the Houston daily. "I believe the search is illegal and unconstitutional, even by Texas standards," he said.