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Judge cancels ex-FLDS child bride’s $40 million trial

Posted at 10:22 AM, Sep 29, 2014
and last updated 2014-09-29 12:35:06-04

SALT LAKE CITY – A former child bride’s $40 million lawsuit against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist LDS Church is on hold.

Elissa Wall and her then-husband, Allen Steed. Wall is suing over her marriage at age 14 in a ceremony presided by FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.

At a brief hearing Monday morning, 3rd District Court Judge Keith Kelly canceled Elissa Wall’s January 20, 2015 trial because the Utah Supreme Court has intervened in the multi-million dollar case.

No new trial date will be set until the state’s top court rules.

“Given the $5 million bond was posted, the trial date… is hereby stricken,” Judge Kelly said. “We’ll just wait to hear when the court rules.”

Wall is suing Jeffs, the FLDS Church and the court-controlled United Effort Plan Trust over her marriage at age 14 to her cousin in a ceremony the FLDS leader presided over.

She was the star witness in Utah’s criminal case against Jeffs on rape as an accomplice.

His conviction was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court.

The UEP Trust, which controls most of the real-estate in Hildale and Colorado City, is arguing it should not be liable for Jeffs’ conduct.