San Angelo, USA - San Angelo, Texas • The sixth day of Warren Jeffs’ trial halted shortly after it began Monday, when the 55-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints filed a motion to have the current judge removed.
Texas District Judge Barbara Walther called a recess in order to have another judge review the filing. Jeffs last week fired his attorneys and has been representing himself in court.
It was unclear when the proceedings might resume.
Jeffs, 55, is accused of spiritually marrying and sexually assaulting two underage girls, one younger than 17 and the other younger than 14. He faces charges of sexual assault of a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
The charges stem from a massive raid on the group’s remote Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, three years ago. More than 400 children were taken into protective custody, though they were later returned to their parents.
Jeffs, who is thought to have close to 90 wives, faces up to life in prison if convicted. If found guilty, he will be sentenced by the Texas jury in a proceeding that could unleash evidence of hundreds of other so-called bad acts, including at least 10 underage marriages authorities have already introduced in other courts.
Monday marked the first time Jeff’s brother, Lyle Jeffs, appeared in court. Lyle Jeffs is the bishop of Short Creek, the FLDS name for Hildale, Utah-Colorado City, Ariz. He declined to discuss the trial with Tribune reporters.