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BY: JIM FLINK

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy. 

One day after firing his entire defense team -- Warren Jeffs went off in a Texas courtroom Friday.
In his own defense -- he defended polygamy -- and said his faith was being persecuted.
ABC News has more on his courtroom performance.

“The leader of the breakaway Mormon sect -- FLDS -- gave no opening statement, and later proceeded to ramble for 30 minutes in sermon-like tones ... He told the judge quote, ‘I have trained my defense, but they were unable to do what I said.  I am presenting the need for true justice to be presented, and for the truth to come out.'"

The Salt Lake Tribune’s Lindsay Whitehurst reports -- Jeffs was unapologetic about his belief -- polygamy is God’s law -- which supercedes U.S. law.

He talked for almost an hour, touching on the history of polygamy as a religious principle first preached by LDS Church founder Joseph Smith (the mainstream LDS Chuch disavowed polygamy more than 100 years ago). Jeffs said said he was a 5th generation polygamist, that he was following "God's law."

All of this comes -- one day after Jeffs fired his seven -person defense team.
KXAN has their reaction.

“We stand ready to represent Mr. Jeffs.  Mr. Walpole was ready to make opening statements this morning.  I know Mr. Walpole has cleared his schedule for the next month to be here anyway.  Certainly this isn’t.... not sitting at counsel table is a little bit awkward." 

This strategy of firing attorneys isn’t new for Jeffs. NPR has background.

“He's been playing musical chairs with his lawyers for months now hiring and firing them, then asking the court for more time so his new lawyers could get up to speed only to fire them again and ask for even more time.  By the end of the day, he'd angered the judge, his lawyers no doubt felt a small measure of humiliation at being taken in by Jeffs and then discarded like yesterday's trash." 

The Christian Science Monitor notes, the issue of child brides isn’t focused on Jeffs or the FLDS -- it’s become a worldwide epidemic.

“The practice – which amounts to rape – is deeply entrenched and not associated with any one religion, according to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).  As FLDS trials reveal, the innocence of young girls needs special attention – and protection – in any society." 

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Transcript by Newsy.