Joseph Smith and the criminal justice system
Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was charged with approximately thirty criminal actions during his life, and at least that many financial civil suits.
[1] Another source reports that Smith was arrested at least 42 times, including in the states of New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois.
In Ohio, he was arrested multiple times on a variety of charges including illegal banking, assault, and conspiracy to murder.
On January 12, 1838, a warrant was issued for Smith's arrest on a charge of banking fraud for his role in running the "Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company".
After the Governor mobilized the state militia in response, Smith surrendered to authorities, expecting to be released on bail.
"As for the perils which I am called to pass through," Joseph reflected, "they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life.
[4] Smith is considered a martyr by the LDS Church due to his 1844 death at the hands of a mob while awaiting trial.
At age 20, Smith—described in court records as "Joseph the glasslooker"—faced his first criminal charge, a misdemeanor count of being a "disorderly person".
[Smith said] he had a certain stone which he had occasionally looked at to determine where hidden treasures in the bowels of the earth were; that he professed to tell in this manner where gold mines were a distance under ground, and had looked for Mr. Stowel several times, and had informed him where he could find these treasures, and Mr. Stowel had been engaged in digging for them.
That at Palmyra he pretended to tell by looking at this stone where coined money was buried in Pennsylvania, and while at Palmyra had frequently ascertained in that way where lost property was of various kinds; that he had occasionally been in the habit of looking through this stone to find lost property for three years, but of late had pretty much given it up on account of its injuring his health, especially his eyes, making them sore; that he did not solicit business of this kind, and had always rather declined having anything to do with this business.
[8]This account has been corroborated by later discoveries, such as Justice Neely's bill of costs which refers to Joseph Smith as "The Glass Looker," (i.e. a diviner), discovered in 1971 by Wesley P.
Smith said that Stowell had heard of a lost Spanish silver mine near Harmony, Pennsylvania, and wanted to find it.
"[12] Constable Ebenezer Hatch arrested Smith on June 30, 1830, held him over night, and brought him before Justice Joseph P. Chamberlin on a charge of being a disorderly person.
His two-day trial took place in late June, ending on July 1, 1830,[14] and he was defended by two attorneys hired by Joseph Knight.
[20][failed verification] "He was arrested seven times in four months, and his followers managed heroically to raise the $38,428 required for bail.
On August 8, Smith led an armed group of over a hundred and surrounded the home of Justice of the Peace Adam Black, who had been elected Judge two days earlier.
[26] William P. Peniston gave a sworn statement about the events, and on August 10, 1838, Judge King issued a warrant for the arrest of Smith and Lyman Wight.
[26] On September 7, Judge King conducted a hearing and found sufficient evidence to send the case to a grand jury.
[38][39][40] On August 8, 1842, Smith and Porter Rockwell were arrested by Illinois law enforcement for their alleged roles in the attempted assassination of former Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs.
Smith ultimately surrendered to authorities on December 30, and on January 2, 1843, the extradition warrant was quashed by a federal judge in Springfield.
On June 6, 1843, Smith was indicted by a grand jury in the circuit court of Daviess County, Missouri, on the charge of treason against the state.
Once they had Smith in their custody, Reynolds and Wilson were themselves placed under arrest by Sheriff Campbell of Lee County, Illinois.
Those who published the Expositor espoused a belief in Mormonism, but criticized Smith for doctrines such as plural marriage and exaltation.
[44] As mayor, Smith and the Nauvoo City Council declared the newspaper a public nuisance and ordered the press destroyed.
[46] On June 11, the Hancock County Justice of the Peace issued a warrant for the arrest of Smith and 17 other individuals on charges of inciting a riot.
On June 23, a posse under the command of the governor entered Nauvoo to execute the arrest warrant, but they were unable to locate Smith.
[51] After bail was granted under the previous charge, Augustine Spencer immediately swore out a warrant alleging that Smith had committed treason by "calling out the [Nauvoo] Legion to resist the force under the command of the Governor.
