Attorneys for polygamous town seek change of venue

COLORADO CITY, Ariz. — Attorneys defending a polygamous town on the Utah-Arizona border against allegations of civil rights violations want a change of venue.

A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in June claims that officials in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City have supported a campaign of intimidation against former members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and denied them services.

Residents of both communities largely are made up of members of the FLDS, run by jailed leader Warren Jeffs.

The Hildale defendants have asked a judge to move the case from Phoenix to Utah, where court proceedings could be held in Salt Lake City or St. George. They say that will cut down on travel time and expenses for parties and witnesses in the case.