Questions over Media Coverage of Warren Jeffs Case, Associated Press, carried in KUTV, May 25, 2007

Questions over Media Coverage of Warren Jeffs Case

Associated Press, carried in KUTV
May 25, 2007

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_145150434.html

St. George - A judge ruled on Friday that polygamist leader Warren Jeffs is competent to stand trial, during a court hearing in which questionable behavior by the media was also discussed.

Fifth District Judge James Shumate made that ruling today during a hearing in St. George. Shumate was scheduled to hear arguments by lawyers for several media outlets seeking to have documents in the Jeffs case unsealed.

Jeffs appeared frail during a March hearing and shortly after his attorneys filed several motions under seal. Among them was a request for Jeffs to have privileged physician contact.

Shumate says Jeffs is in condition to stand trial. The judge says he will release a redacted report (meaning the report's contents may be censored for release) on Jeff's competency evaluation and will release all of the report at the end of the trial.

Jeffs appeared in better health at today's hearing.

Judge James Shumate ruled on Friday that photographers may attend court proceedings involving Warren Jeffs, but the use of enlarged or enhanced photographs to reveal information is not permitted. The issue was raised after a newspaper photograph was enhanced to reveal contents of a letter Jeffs attempted to give the judge earlier this year.

Also, the judge quashed a subpoena given to a Deseret Morning News reporter by the defense team.

Judge Shumate didn't rule on the merits of the subpoena, but said Ben Winslow received it just 24 hours ago, which was not enough time before today's hearing.

Jeffs' attorneys wanted to put Winslow on the stand and ask him to name unidentified sources in his stories about the case.

The newspaper had published an enhanced photo of a note that Jeffs had attempted to give the judge during a March hearing. Winslow had used unidentified sources to confirm the contents of the note.

Shumate says photographers will be allowed to attend the Jeffs trial, but he says photo enhancement will be prohibited.