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Texas Hill Country Gifts Wildflowers Texan Hunting Fishing Firearms Real Estate
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DECEMBER 2, 2004
Utah District Judge Stephen L. Henorid wants to hear from Warren Jeffs, self-proclaimed prophet and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A civil lawsuit against Jeffs is pending in Judge Henroid's court and so far, attorneys for the plaintiff, Brent Jeffs, have been unable to serve the elusive Mr. Jeffs with a summons ordering his appearance.
So, the judge has ordered the publication of notices in four newspapers, including The Eldorado Success, instructing Warren Jeffs to respond to the lawsuit.
On July 29 of this year, Jeffs' 21-year-old nephew, Brent Jeffs, filed a lawsuit in Judge Henroid's court in which he accused his uncle of repeatedly sodomizing him beginning when he was 5 years old. The lawsuit also alleges that the FLDS church and much of its leadership were complicit in covering up the sexual abuse.
Listed as co-defendants in the case were Warren Jeffs' brothers Blaine Balmforth Jeffs and Leslie Balmforth Jeffs. Also, named in the lawsuit was the FLDS church and the United Effort Plan Trust, a trust fund originally intended to benefit FLDS church members but which many observers now believe serves as little more than a slush fund for Warren Jeffs and his lieutenants.
Since the date of the lawsuit, Private Investigator Sam Brower of Cedar City, Utah has been successful in serving both of Warren Jeffs brothers. Brower even traveled to Eldorado in August where he managed to serve papers to one of Warren Jeffs subordinates, Merrill Jessop, at the YFZ Ranch gate.
Also, lawyers who routinely represent Jeffs, the FLDS and the United Effort Plan Trust, including Rodney Parker of Salt Lake City, have been served with copies of the summons. But, thus far, Warren Jeffs is nowhere to be found.
The judge's new order means that copies of the summons will be published here in Eldorado as well as in St. George, Utah, Cortez, Colorado and Creston, British Columbia in Canada. Following publication in all four cities, Jeffs will have twenty days to respond or risk having a default judgement entered against him.
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Temple foundation — the area inside the massive concrete footer where FLDS members reportedly intend to erect a temple, has been filled in with crushed rock. Nearby, native limestone is being quarried and cut into smooth stone blocks, despite recent heavy rains, presumably in preparation for construction of the temple.
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Meahwhile, back at the ranch...
Here in Eldorado, work continues at the YFZ Ranch despite recent rains. Aerial photos reveal that crushed rock has been used to fill the area inside the concrete footer where observers believe a FLDS temple will be erected.
Work also continues at the rock quarry on the ranch and carries on through the night with powerful lights illuminating the area. One builder contacted for comment by The Success speculated that rock is being quarried at night in order to lessen the chance that complaints about excessive dust will be filed with state environmental authorities.
Leadership change...
Documents filed with the Texas Secretary of State's office in August reveal that Raymond Jessop is now listed as the agent for YFZ Land, LLC, the company that owns the YFZ Ranch. David Allred, the man who fronted the purchase of the YFZ Ranch on behalf of the FLDS, is still listed as an officer in the company. So is Raymond Jessop's father, Merrill Jessop, along with Leroy Steed. Missing from the list of officers is Ernest Jessop, known to locals as "Ernie," who oversaw much of the early construction at the YFZ Ranch. Many FLDS observers believe "Ernie" Jessop was excommunicated by Warren Jeffs.
Also, Leroy J. Steed has formed a corporation known as RS Supply, Incorporated. The principal office for RS Supply is listed as 2420 County Road 300, Eldorado, Texas. That's the same address as the YFZ Ranch.
The Eldorado Success invites Warren Jeffs and other leaders in the FLDS church to comment the allegations levied by Brent Jeffs, or any other aspect of the story surrounding the FLDS and the YFZ Ranch.
