Elissa Wall

A judge is awarding $16 million to Elissa Wall, who was married to her cousin at age 14 in a ceremony overseen by polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs. A lawyer for Wall said Wednesday the decision lets attorneys investigate bank accounts and property connected to the group based along the Utah-Arizona border.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge is awarding $16 million in a lawsuit filed by a woman married to her cousin at age 14 in a ceremony overseen by polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs.

A lawyer for Elissa Wall said Wednesday the decision lets attorneys investigate bank accounts and property connected to the secretive group based along the Utah-Arizona border.

Alan Mortensen says Wall plans to use the money to help people leaving the group, which also has a compound in South Dakota.

Wall’s testimony helped convict Jeffs in Utah, though the verdict was overturned on a technicality and he’s now imprisoned in Texas.

His group does not have a lawyer or spokesman to comment on the case.

The Associated Press doesn’t generally identify victims of sexual assault, but Wall speaks publicly about her experiences.

Recommended for you

Welcome to the discussion!

The Idaho State Journal invites you to take part in the community conversation. But those who don't play nice may be uninvited.

Comments that are:

  • off topic
  • defamatory
  • libelous
  • obscene
  • racist
  • abusive
  • threatening
  • an invasion of privacy (doxxing)
  • profane (including attempts to misspell profanity in order to get around the profanity filter)

will be deleted. Repeat offenders will lose commenting privileges.

Comments are opinions of the author only, and do not reflect the opinions or views of Idaho State Journal.