Utah Governor Signs Warren's Warrant for Extradition

And still nothing is exactly clear except that Utah's Attorney General want's to use what appears to be a technicality to send Warren Jeffs to Texas.

The Salt Lake Tribune - "Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said state attorneys are preparing a petition for a rehearing before the Utah Supreme Court, which last month reversed Jeffs’ convictions on accomplice to rape charges and sent the case back for a new trial. The court said faulty jury instructions prevented Jeffs from getting a fair hearing.

Shurtleff said the request for a rehearing would focused on the discussions that surrounded instructions given to the jury that heard Jeffs’ case in 2007.

The high court has given an extended Aug. 23 deadline for the rehearing request to be filed. That is the same day a 5th District judge is supposed to hear Jeffs’ request for a 'speedy' new trial."

The key thing is to analyse this politically. The "Rehearing" request filing deadline is as noted, on the same day of Warren's request for an expedited trial. Some attempt is being made at least superficially to reverse the Supreme Court of Utah's decision to vacate Warren's accomplice to rape conviction. Honestly I don't see how that happens with the decision being unanimous, but if they can get the conviction at least technically reinstated by having it's reversal reconsidered, perhaps then Governor Gary Hebert can flick Warren off his blotter and ship him to Texas while he's still not "waiting for trial."

I can't see how this works exactly, but I suspect that's the mechanism. If my suspicions are correct, the Utah Supremes will act politically, under pressure, and "reconsider" their unanimous decision long enough to essentially block Warren's request for a new trial. Hence the date of the filing deadline, which would then possibly (simply by it being filed) void Warren's request for a quick trial.

Warren then becomes a prisoner in the Utah Prison system, wanted by another State and they'll try to whisk him out the back door to Texas, before any remedy can be undertaken by Warren's attorneys.

If that doesn't work, there may be an even longer delay before Texas gets Warren, or Utah will quickly drop charges against Warren, clearing at least partially the way for Texas to get him. I don't honestly know if that would require yet a third request for Warren by Texas. This smells strongly of cynical legal maneuvering. We'll see how it works out.

Fox 13 reports:

"The governor received the request and after careful review, he signed it," said governor's spokeswoman Angie Welling. "It's also accompanied by an executive agreement which allows the state to bring Mr. Jeffs back to Utah once the Texas case is concluded."

The idea that Utah intends to prosecute Warren again, is a fiction. This lends credence to the notion that the whole thing is a maneuver.

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Mark Shurtleff (Paraphrased) says: There won't be a new trial of Warren Jeffs

How do you disapprove of a unanimous Utah Supreme Court Decision, as it's Attorney General?

You can SAY you're disappointed, but you just got told you stink as a legal mind and your reasoning was bankrupt. You've been stomped, you're WRONG:

The Polygamy File - "The decision is going to make it very difficult to retry, based on the same theory of accomplice liability, based on a position of special trust. So, we will leave our options open as far as whether we retry the case or whether we go over to the Legislature and seek some type of legislative change for future cases."

Interpretation? I'm not admitting in front of all you folks that the case is dead, but it's dead.

Besides, if we try it again, Elissa wall will go down for perjury.

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Earthquake in Warren's Case

FLDS Leader Warren Jeffs

The Utah Attorney General's office is stepping out of the way, and letting Warren have his way:

"The (Utah) Attorney General’s Office told the Utah Supreme Court that it would not oppose a defense request for a stay of Jeffs’ appeal to allow for an investigation and an evidentiary hearing on the new allegations.

Assistant Attorney General Laura Dupaix wrote in the notice that Utah prosecutors were not aware of this potential evidence at the time of trial and had only learned about it two days ago. She wrote that the Attorney General’s Office is "ethically bound to provide notice of this potential newly-discovered evidence both to the Court and to Jeffs’ Utah Counsel.' "

This is major. It may lead to the conviction being laid aside and no new trial. If Elissa forged evidence, she is no longer a credible witness against anyone. Warren's conviction depends entirely on a credible Elissa Wall. Read more here.

The reason you don't appeal when you're in the process of appeal is simple. You expect the conviction to be reversed. Rather than play the obstructionist, the Utah AG's office is rolling out the red carpet for Warren's defense. That means not only do they believe what was heard from Jane Blackmore, but they don't think that when the facts are revealed, they could sell any other interpretation of them.

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Mark Shurtleff must think he's a banker, or a judge...

A while ago he thought he was going to be a Senator.

KUTV - "In a letter sent to FLDS attorneys, Mark Shurtleff says the issue must be resolved within 30 days. He suggests following a proposal from Bruce Wisan, the accountant appointed by a judge to manage the trust."

The headline on the article says he's "demanding" this of the FLDS.

Who died and appointed him God? Last time I checked this was a matter for the courts.

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Mark Shurtleff Suspends Senate Campaign

The official reason is to deal with his daughter's mental health issues. He has my sympathies and support, even if this is just a cover story for quitting.

Fox13 - "(Mark) Shurtleff said he would suspend the campaign, to spend more time caring for his daughter, who has struggled with mental illness issues for some time. Shurtleff has been challenging incumbent senator Bob Bennett."

Everybody has something to do other than what they're doing. If this paid well for instance (that means I do make money blogging), I might quit my job to pursue this full time. I might "quit my job to go help my son" if I had the time and money as well. Usually politicians who are supremely ambitious, quit because they aren't getting anywhere.

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The Tribune Switches Sides?

Sensing (perhaps) that there is a big story about to be told without them concerning the UEP trust, the Salt Lake Tribune goes from the studied every so subtly "anti FLDS" detachment of Brooke Adams, to the outright advocacy of Rebecca Walsh. The following appears in today's edition of the Salt Lake Tribune, in the Polygamy section:

"This week, the attorney general and lawyers for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints working on a settlement discovered Wisan's $360,000 fire sale of cow flesh in a footnote filed in court. Wisan's last-minute deal smells bad."

I'll say. But for years it's been merely reporting the claims of the FLDS and their attorneys that Wisan was a thief, now with the carcass of his bad deals showing up undeniably in court, the Tribune finds a voice and chimes in, clearly on the side of the FLDS. It makes you wonder, when will someone move off the fence in the case of the raid? Must there be an Island Pond smoking gun discovered? Flora Jessop meeting with David Doran, Bruce Long, Barbara Walther, Becky Hoerth and Rozita Swinton and Flora saying: "Now, here's my plan..," all on video tape?

"Attorney for the FLDS Rod Parker believes Wisan is trying to derail the settlement to keep his expensive gig going. Meantime, he says, the trustee is cannibalizing the FLDS assets.

'It's gotten to the point where the fiduciary's not answerable to the attorney general anymore. He's vastly outpaced his mandate,' Parker says. 'If the FLDS had sold $360,000 of cattle under the table, there would be hell to pay. There should be hell to pay for the fiduciary.'

At the same time, Wisan is fighting charges of trespassing in Arizona after his employee entered two homes in Colorado City without the residents' permission.

White (Wisan) knight unmounted."

It's good to see the Tribune reporting (finally) but what ever happened to the reporter that went out and found a story, as opposed to the cheerleader reporters we have now, that call the game forensically, from the sidelines?

There's sufficient evidence out there to ask the questions and tell the story of what really happened leading up to the raid. If reporters wait until it's presented as an exhibit in court, we can all kiss our freedom goodbye.

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How is the UEP trust like YFZ's children?

Because after much strife, many dollars and lots of accusations, the state of Utah is going to give UEP back to the FLDS.

The Dallas Morning News - "(T)he proposal returns control of most of the trust holdings to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An arm of the church, the United Effort Plan Trust holds most of the land and homes in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., the twin towns where most church members live, and a church enclave in Bountiful, British Columbia.

The Utah courts seized the communal trust in 2005 after allegations of mismanagement by Jeffs. Under the oversight of a court-appointed fiduciary, the communal religious trust has been converted into a secular entity."

This is the state of Utah's plan. So remind me. Why did they take control of the trust in the first place? Never mind...

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The latest "Front" in the War on Polygyny.

Complete with help from sympathetic articles in the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune.

But if you go to their website, "Holding out Help" is clearly an ANTI polygyny organization, smiled beamingly upon by Mark Shurtleff. They state that their Mission is:

"(To be) available for those individuals living in or desiring to leave the polygamist community. We provide assistance through a network of volunteers, state agencies and individual donors. Ultimately, we strive to increase self-sufficiency and the dignity that everyone deserves."

As if polygyny was not about self sufficiency or dignity. We also learn that the state is funding this joke, something not made clear by either article about them. Quoted in the Tribune article Tonia says:

"We are throwing judgment and condemnation aside and are going to love you where you're at and help with whatever needs you have," Tewell said. "We're not anti or for, but we are willing to love these folks where they are."

No Tonia, you're anti.

It's not clear who Tonia Tewell is, she's probably not THIS Tonia Tewell, but probably is this one.

They've even gotten a "couple" of calls from families. Your Tax Dollars at Work?

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Where did those dossiers come from?

The Utah AG's Mouthpiece says "not from us!" The Salt Lake Tribune;

"Paul Murphy, Shurtleff's spokesman, said his office had nothing to do with profiles."

You know, that wouldn't exactly surprise me. Texas has been making stuff up all along. More →

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Mark Shurtleff's office to hold meetings with the FLDS

My advice to Willie Jessop if he's listening, don't go.

The Deseret News - "No dates have been scheduled, and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is not expected to immediately participate in the next round of meetings."

If he doesn't go, send someone else. Don't go. You want a face to face meeting with the Utah Attorney General. You want a joint press conference. Any meetings with the Utah Attorney General's office should end with a joint press conference or release. Otherwise, DO NOT GO. More →

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Jessop meets with Utah Attorney General "Representatives."

You can't say that Willie isn't willing. I would advise Willie not to meet again with Utah AG office personnel, at least not in a fashion covered by the press, unless he has preconditions. The Salt Lake Tribune;

"Willie Jessop, spokesman for the (FLDS), met with Kirk Torgensen, chief deputy, and several other staff members.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who traveled to Nevada on Wednesday to discuss the FLDS and other polygamy issues with counterparts from three states, did not attend the gathering."

This is territorial and political, like it or not. In politics when you don't get a "face to face" meeting, you're not on equal footing. Utah's AG office wants to appear to meet with the FLDS to work things out. But you don't get to meet the head cheese, you meet an underling. The underling is then "not available for comment;"

"Torgensen did not return a telephone call Thursday night. Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, did not attend but also said the meeting was a positive first step."

Then some other willing functionary, who ALSO did not attend the meeting, is trotted out to characterize that meeting. This then reveals what Mark Shurtleff wants from the meeting, in terms of appearances. "I tried, this is what I think the meeting means, even though I was not there."

"'We're hoping the FLDS church is going to stop underage marriages, which is the No. 1 issue we've had,' Murphy said. The Attorney General's Office also has wanted clarification from Jessop about his role in representing the FLDS church. 'We still need to hear who he is and how much authority he has to carry out whatever he says,' Murphy said."

First he rolls out the lie. The lie is the idea that the FLDS advocates underage marriage and Utah does not. I'm betting right now that I can find, without looking, same age marriage ages for girls that Utah is trying to say the FLDS engages in, and promotes, that Utah does not. I've done it in Texas, I've done it in New Jersey, the only reason I haven't done it elsewhere is a combination of time (50 states) and knowing where to look.

If Utah sanctions one marriage to a 14 or 15 year old, then it LIES when it says that it's concern is "underage marriage." By implication what Utah is also saying is that it cares that "children are having sex." They don't, they just want to control who is having "sex with children." They want it to be other children, or on rare occasion, a monogamous adult having sex with a child.

Then he takes a slap at Willie, who came in good faith, seeing if he has the "authority...to carry out whatever he says." You can bet these remarks were prepared in advance of the meeting. I'd say; "Willie, don't go" to the next offered meeting, without preconditions and a joint press conference afterwards.


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