Alleged polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs appears in court

Описание: (1 Sep 2006)
POOL
Las Vegas, Nevada
1. Various of Warren Jeffs at extradition hearing
AP Television
St. George, Utah
2. Exterior of the 5th Judicial District Courthouse
3. Set-up shot of Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brock Belnap, Washington County Attorney:
"The criminal charges allege that Mr. Jeffs encouraged, commanded, aided, abetted another to have sexual intercourse with a victim, between the ages of 14-18 without her consent."
AP Television
Colorado City, Utah
++Part Mute++
5. Various general views of Colorado City
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kim Nettle, Colorado City employee:
"I think that a lot of people thought that it could happen, I don't know if they ever thought it would happen. But they still look at him as their prophet and no matter what happens to him in the court system they are still going to believe him as the prophet."
AP Television
Hurricane, Utah
7. Various exteriors of the Purgatory Correctional Facility
STORYLINE:
The leader of a polygamist sect said on Thursday he would not fight extradition to the US state of Utah on charges he arranged marriages between underage girls and older men.
Warren Jeffs made his first court appearance in Las Vegas, Nevada since he was arrested on Monday after more than a year on the run.
The charismatic religious leader with an estimated 10,000 followers spoke almost inaudibly and was not represented by a lawyer.
Jeffs nodded when a Las Vegas justice of the peace asked whether he would be extradited to Utah.
He is charged there with two counts of rape by accomplice and could get life in prison if convicted.
Jeffs faces criminal charges in Arizona as well, but Utah will prosecute him first because it has a stronger case and its charges are more serious.
The 50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - a sect that broke away from the Mormon church more than a century ago and has been disavowed by the Mormons - was arrested after a traffic stop outside Las Vegas.
The manhunt had lasted more than a year and placed him on the FBI's Most Wanted List.
The 2007 Cadillac Escalade in which Jeffs rode was carrying three wigs, 15 mobile phones, several laptop computers and $54,000 US dollars, police said.
Prosecutors hope the arrest will break Jeffs' hold on his followers and lead them to speak out about their lives within the sect and the arranged marriages of young girls there, some just 13 years-old.

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