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Show Warren Jeffs convicted as accomplice to rape Todgy'slssue Today is Wednesday, Sept 26, 2007. Today's issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Tanya Collings, a senior majoring in anthropology from Tremonton, Utah. Celebs&People NEW YORK (AP) - Sarah Silverman still is responding to the negative reaction to her Britney Spears jokes at the MTV Video Music Awards. "The joke that everyone was upset about me calling the ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) - The leader of kids 'adorable mistakes' a polygamous Mormon splinter group was the most innocuwas convicted Tuesday of being an ous joke," the 36-yearaccomplice to rape for forcing a 14-yearold comedian tells Us old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin. Weekly magazine in Warren Jeffs, 51, could get life in the issue that comes prison after a trial that threw a spotout Friday. "It never light on a renegade community along occurred to me that the Arizona-Utah line where as many as would be deemed hurt10,000 of Jeffs' followers practice plural ful or over the line." SILVERMAN marriage and revere him as a mighty Says Silverman: "I don't want to get prophet with dominion over their salvainto feuds with girls half my age. I'm in tion. it to be funny and not for the drama. It's Jeffs stood and, like his 15 followers embarrassing." in the courtroom, wore a stoic look as Silverman, known for her deadpan the verdict was read. delivery and winsome depravity, drew Prosecutors said Jeffs, who percriticism earlier this month when formed the ceremony, forced the girl she followed Spears' much-panned into marriage and sex against her will. VMA performance with an off-color Jurors said they agreed Jeffs rejected the monologue taking aim at the troubled girl's pleas and refused to release her singer and her two sons with ex-husband from the marriage. Kevin Federline. "He was pretty much her only ticket "They are the most adorable mistakes out of the relationship," said juror Jerry FUNDAMENTALIST LEADER W A R R E N JEFFS,left, stands with his council in reaction you will ever see," Silverman said of Sean Munk, 36. to the verdict against him Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1. Defense attorney Wally Bugden, who Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was found guilty to on both charges of Silverman also joked that Spears, at 25, told jurors that Jeffs was a victim of rape as an accomplice. AP File Photo had already accomplished in her life religious persecution, declined to comeverything she ever will. declining to take questions from reportsaid. ment. Silverman, who dates late-night talkers. But Steed testified that his teenage The jury deliberated about 16 hours show host Jimmy Kimmel, has her The Associated Press generally does not bride initiated their first sexual encounover three days. On Tuesday morning, own Comedy Central series, "The Sarah name those who allege sexual abuse. ter, approaching him after he fell asleep the judge replaced a juror with an alterSilverman Program." She also starred in At the trial, widely different versions in his clothes after a 12-hour day at nate for undisclosed reasons. a feature film-length version of her onework. of the relationship and Jeffs' influence While polygamy itself was not on woman show, "Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is were presented by the woman and her Under Utah law, a 14-year-old can contrial — the couple were monogamous Magic." former husband, Allen Steed, 26. sent to sex in some circumstances. But — the case focused attention on the NEW YORK (AP) - George Clooney At their wedding in 2001 at a Nevada sex is not considered consensual if a practice of polygamy in Utah, where it didn't let a motorcycle accident keep him motel, the woman said, she cried in person under 18 is enticed by someone has generally been tolerated in the halfoff the red carpet at the premiere of his at least three years older. century since a government raid in 1953 despair when pressed by Jeffs to say "I new film, "Michael Clayton." do" and had to be coaxed to kiss her For reasons prosecutors have never proved a public relations disaster, with new husband. The woman testified that Clooney arrived with his girlfriend, explained, Steed has not been charged children photographed being torn from FLDS girls receive no information about Sarah Larson, who was also injured in with a crime. their mothers' arms. their bodies or reproduction. She said Friday's accident in New Jersey. The mainstream Mormon Church, Jeffs succeeded his father in 2002 as she didn't even know sex was the means "I'm doing fine, yeah — good, good, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterpresident of the Fundamentalist Church by which women had babies. good," Clooney told Associated Press day Saints, renounced polygamy more of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The woman said the couple were marTelevision at Monday night's event. than a century ago, excommunicates Former members say he rules with an ried for at least a month before they had "I'm just, you know, dinged up a little members who engage in the practice, iron fist, demanding perfect obedience intercourse, her husband telling her it bit." and disavows any connection to the from followers and exercising the right was "time for you to be a wife and do FLDS church. Clooney, 46, and Larson were injured to arrange marriages as well as break your duty." when their motorcycle and a car colJeffs is also charged in Arizona with them up and assign new spouses. lided on a narrow road in Weehawken, "My entire body was shaking. I was being an accomplice to both incest "This trial has not been about reliacross the Hudson River from New York. so scared," she testified. "He just laid and sexual misconduct with a minor gion or vendetta. It was simply about Larson was a passenger on the vehicle. me on the bed and had sex." for arranging marriages between two child abuse and preventing abuse," Both were wearing helmets. underage girls and relatives of theirs. In Afterward, she slipped into the baththe victim, now 21, said in prepared addition, Jeffs is under federal indictroom, where she downed two bottles "I got a cracked rib, so I'm not jogging remarks after the verdict. ment in Utah on charges of fleeing to of over-the-counter pain reliever and right now," Clooney joked. "No jumping "The easy thing would have been avoid prosecution. curled up on the floor, she said. "The jacks." to do nothing, but I have followed my only thing I wanted to do was die," she He wore a black suit and white shirt heart and spoken the truth," she said, with no tie. Larson wore a knee-length black dress and was propped up on crutches. Her left foot was bandaged. Clooney has been in the New York area to film the Coen brothers' "Burn After Reading." co-starring Brad Pitt, John NEW ORLEANS (AP)- Episcopal the Anglican Communion. Theological New Hampshire. Malkovich and Frances McDormand. leaders, pressured to roll back their conservatives in the Episcopal Church Anglican leaders had set a Sunday Pitt also attended the premiere, but support for gays to keep the world immediately rejected the document as deadline for the Americans to pledge bypassed the media on the red carpet. Anglican family from crumbling, too weak. unequivocally not to consecrate another When asked about how it seemed affirmed Tuesday that they will "exerBishops released the statement in gay bishop or approve an official prayer that he and Pitt coordinate everything, cise restraint" in approving another gay the final hour of an intense six-day service for same-sex couples. including projects, Clooney joked: "We bishop and will not approve prayers to meeting and at a crucial moment in the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan do. We call each other •— we actually ask bless same-sex couples. decades-long Anglican debate over how Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, what we're wearing. He's wearing an allthe Bible should be interpreted. The statement mostly reiterated pretook the unusual step of attending the white suit tonight." vious pledges made by church leaders, The Anglican fellowship has meeting for the first two days, pushing and it will not be known for weeks or been splintering since 2003, when bishops to make concessions for the even months whether the bishops went Episcopalians consecrated the first sake of unity. Anglican lay and clergy far enough to help prevent a schism in openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of representatives from overseas also participated, scolding Episcopal leaders for the turmoil they've caused. The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the United States. Top Ten OJ. Simpson Excuses Anglicans across the theological 10- "It was a rare lapse in judgement" spectrum will interpret the language differently. And Williams said he 9 - "Thought, 'What happens in Vegas, • will take time to evaluate the docustays in Vegas"* ; ment with a committee representing Anglican leaders and the Anglican 8 - "Felt like committing a crime, but Consultative Council, an international wasn't in a 'stabby' mood" : lay-clergy panel. Episcopal conservatives noted that 7- "Honestly, I miss the prison lasagna" , many priests conduct same-gender blessing ceremonies, despite the lack of 6 - "Distraught after getting turned down! an official prayer. Critics also said that for a hosting gig on 'The View*" i national Episcopal church leaders didn't do enough in their statement to provide 5 - "Thought kidnapping would really alternative leadership for conservative round out my resume" ! dioceses. "This is a 'try to keep your foot in 4 - "The real robbery is the mini-bar [ the door' maneuvering effort," said prices, am I right, people?" Canon Kendall Harmon, a leading conservative from the Diocese of South 3 - "Too much soup" Carolina. "It feels like they want to change the ground rules instead of pay 2 - "Oh, like you never conducted a sting the price for what they believe." operation to steal back stolen sports The 77 million-member Anglican memorabilia" Communion is a fellowship of churches ROWAN W I L L I A N S , ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury and the Anglican spiritual leader, that trace their roots to the Church of 1- "C'mon, it's not like I killed somespeaks to reporters. Episcopal leaders will "exercise restraint" in approving gay England. It is the third-largest Christian body" bishops and will not approve prayers blessing same-sex couples. AP Photo body in the world. ClarifyCorrect The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find unfair, please contact the editor at 797-1762 or TSC 105. V ; Briefs Man finds amputated leg in auction purchase MAIDEN, N.C (AP) -A man who bought a smoker Tuesday at an auction of abandoned items might have thought twice had he looked inside first. Maiden police said the man opened up the smoker and saw what he thought was a piece of driftwood wrapped in paper. When he unwrapped it, he found a human leg, cut off 2 to 3 inches above the knee. The smoker had been sold at an auction of items left behind at a storage facility, so investigators contacted the mother and son who had rented the space where the smoker was found. The mother explained her son had his leg amputated after a plane crash and kept the leg following the surgery. The mother said her son plans to drive to Maiden, about 35 miles northwest of Charlotte, to reclaim his amputated leg, police said. California begins work on detoxicating lake PORTOLA, Calif. (AP) - State workers on Tuesday began pouring a toxic chemical into a lake nestled in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada as part of California's decade-long effort to exterminate a predatory northern pike. A fleet of 25 boats set out on Lake Davi: near Portola shortly after 7 a.m. PDT in what now amounts to the states most expensive battle to date against an invasive species. More than 500 officials with the state Department of Fish and Game are pouring 16,000 gallons of the fish poison Rotenone into the 7-mile-long lake and its tributaries. Several hours after they began Tuesday, dead fish were already washing up on the shore. "We felt we really want to make sure we got those guys," said Department of Fish and Game spokesman Steve Martarano. If left alone, biologists say, the toothy northern pike could take over Lake Davis and possibly escape to the Sacramento River system, devouring trout and salmon all the way to San Francisco Bay. Memphis airport has communication failure MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)-Communications equipment failed Tuesday at a regional air-traffic control center, shutting down all airline traffic within 250 miles of Memphis and causing a ripple effect across the country that grounded dozens of passenger and cargo flights. The problem started when a major telephone line to the Memphis center went out at 12:35 p.m. EST. The Federal Aviation Administration said air-traffic control operations were back to normal about three hours later. Air-traffic control centers in adjacent regions handled flights that were already in the air when the problem was discovered. "The airspace was completely cleared by 1:30 (p.m.) Eastern time," FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. High-altitude flights through the region which includes parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee were discontinued while the equipment was being fixed. v Episcopal leaders tighten stance LateNiteHumor |