LOS ANGELES — Utah supreme court Tuesday overturned the conviction of jailed polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, ordering a fresh trial into charges that he was an accomplice to the rape of a teenage girl.
Jeffs, 54, was convicted in 2007 on two charges stemming out of the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old first cousin.
He had appealed against his conviction and sentence of two consecutive five-year jail terms, arguing legal procedures had not been followed.
"We conclude that there were serious errors in the instructions given to the jury that deprived Jeffs of the fair trial to which all are entitled under our laws," the Utah court ruled.
"We therefore reverse the convictions and remand for a new trial."
Jeffs is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a breakaway sect of Mormonism that supports polygamy.
The court added in its ruling: "We regret the effect our opinion today may have on the victim of the underlying crime, to whom we do not wish to cause additional pain.
"However, we must ensure that the laws are applied evenly and appropriately, in this case as in every case."
Jeffs was arrested in 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada, after being on the FBI's ten most wanted list until his capture.
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