Polygamous sect leader's daughter wants to ditch her attorney

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9669956

Excerpts

An FLDS teenager is taking a dispute with her attorney public, claiming the attorney is making her life "harder" and asking the lawyer to "please leave me alone."

Teresa Jeffs, 16, a daughter of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs, gave The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday a copy of an e-mail she sent Natalie Malonis, of Flower Mound, Texas, after seeing news reports about her case. On Friday, Malonis won a court order banning contact between an FLDS spokesman and the girl.

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In a telephone interview, Jeffs said Malonis is "fighting my own father and made it so I can't write to him." She has visited her father once since his arrest and incarceration in 2006.

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Malonis, whorepresents two other FLDS children, defended her actions on behalf of Jeffs and said she believes the teenager is being pressured by the sect.

"There is no question I am absolutely looking out for her," Malonis said. "What's happening is really a shame because people who purport to care about her are really doing her a disservice."

Malonis said she just wants Jeffs to be free of any outside influence and make her own decisions. "Right now, that's not happening," the attorney said.

In court papers filed Friday, Malonis alleged that Jeffs' push for a new attorney was due to coercion from FLDS spokesman Willie Jessop and asked 51st District Judge Barbara Walther to bar them from having contact. Walther temporarily ordered Annette Jeffs, the girl's mother, to keep her from Jessop and set a court hearing in the matter for Tuesday in San Angelo.

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She denied that anyone was influencing her desire for a new attorney, telling Malonis that "you need to realize that I have a mind of my own and I can do things on my own if I choose to."

Writing to the judge was "my own dear choice," she said in her e-mail. "Quit blaming it all on someone else when you have absolutely no proof. No one can change my mind, not even Willie!"