Jury selected in civil case against Seth and Warren Jeffs

Almost two years after the initial complaint was made, jury selection and opening statements began on Tuesday, June 24 in the civil case against Seth Jeffs, Emerald Industries, and Warren Jeffs. The complaint was brought by Elissa Wall, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS).

The complaint asserts that Emerald Industries LLC, a Montana registered business, was founded with the express purpose of being used for fraudulent conveyance, allowing money to move between brothers Seth and Warren Jeffs, concealing it from Wall, despite a ruling from a Utah court awarding her just over $10 million to be paid by Warren Jeffs and other members of the FLDS.

The case has come to Cook County because of a 40-acre property briefly owned by Emerald Industries on Pike Lake Road.

Wall is being represented by Richard Furlong, III and Tyson Smith of Smith Law, PLLC, based in Grand Marais. Duluth attorney William Paul is representing Seth Jeffs, and by extension, Emerald Industries. Warren Jeffs is also named as a defendant in the case, though he will not appear in-person, since he is currently serving a life-sentence in Texas following conviction on two counts of sexual assault involving minors. In the court documents Warren Jeffs is listed as self-represented.

Judge Nicole L. Hopps of Minnesota’s 6th Judicial District, based out of St. Louis County Courthouse, will preside over the proceedings.

Case background

In 2017, a Utah court ordered Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of the FLDS to pay Wall, a former church member, just over $10 million in damages related to sexual and psychological abuse she said she suffered before she left the FLDS community. At this time that debt is unsatisfied, according to court documents.

Wall previously told the Associated Press that she intends to use the awarded funds to help others looking to leave the FLDS.

In August of 2018, Seth Jeffs purchased, through Emerald Industries, a 40-acre property in Cook County. At the time of the purchase, there was considerable public concern about the potential that the FLDS might establish a community on the North Shore. Ultimately, nothing was built on that site, and Seth Jeffs sold the property in August 2023.

Seth Jeffs maintains that he purchased the land with his own money, completely independently of the FLDS. According to Cook County property records, the parcel was acquired in 2018 for $54,000, and sold in 2023 for $130,000. Seth Jeffs claims that the money from that sale is Emerald Industries alone, and not an asset of the FLDS or Warren Jeffs.

Wall’s complaint asserts that Seth Jeffs has acted as an agent for his brother, and that they have used Emerald Industries to transfer funds and assets, in order to avoid satisfying the 2017 court-ordered payment. Wall argues that because of the alleged financial connections between Emerald Industries and Warren Jeffs, money from the the sale of the Cook County property should be used to fulfill Warren Jeffs’ outstanding debt to her.

This week a jury will be asked to decide on the matter.

Jury selection

The initial jury pool began with 35 potential jurors, all residents of Cook County. Eleven were first selected to answer screening questions, including about their background and what prior knowledge they have about the case. Questions also addressed connections the potential jurors might have with the parties in the case and their representation. Throughout the questioning process, some of those initial 11 were excused and replaced with other candidates.

Throughout the jury-selection process 14 potential jurors were dismissed for a variety of reasons. Another 14 were never questioned, and seven were ultimately selected.

During jury selection several potential jurors stated outright that they would not be able to consider the case without bias. Those jury candidates were dismissed. Others who had seen the 2022 Netflix documentary Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey, which chronicled the history of the FLDS and several criminal complaints made against the group’s leadership and Warren Jeffs’ conviction, were asked whether they could be impartial after seeing what was described as a “disturbing” film. Wall was a contributor to the documentary, and two jurors who had seen it said they were not sure whether they would be able to remain impartial. The case being tried in Cook County is not about the actions that led to Warren Jeffs’ incarceration, or the abuse reported in the documentary.

After nearly three hours of selection, a jury was announced. The seven-person jury is comprised of two women and five men, who range in age from 25 to 77. The jurors have a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, and include a mix of family and faith backgrounds.

Opening statements will take place on Wednesday, June 25. Hopps said she expects to trial to conclude by Thursday, June 26.

Kirsten Wisniewski June 24, 2025