Booking Photo of James Arthur Ray (Image source: Yavapai County Sheriff)

CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) — Attorneys for a self-help guru charged with manslaughter are asking a judge to compel the disclosure of information they say medical examiners used to determine causes of death in the case.

A judge is expected to hear the motion Tuesday that prosecutors say lacks legal merit. They further contend the information is protected by the work product doctrine.

Attorneys for James Arthur Ray argue that medical examiners relied on information provided by law enforcement at a December meeting to resolve differences in the causes of death for three people.

The attorneys say Arizona law entitles them to all information relied upon by experts and requested that prosecutors be sanctioned.

Ray has pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter, stemming from a sweat lodge ceremony he led last October.

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Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

James Arthur Ray’s lawyers appeared on “Larry King Live” and granted interviews to other national media outlets to counter prosecution claims that he was responsible for the deaths at a ceremony he led in October.

The push didn’t go unnoticed, with prosecutors now filing a request for a gag order in the case.

Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk argued the order would limit pretrial publicity that could taint the jury pool. She wants the order to include Ray’s employees, his attorneys and their staff, staff and attorneys in the county attorney’s office and employees of the county sheriff’s office.

“Nothing is more vital to a just and accurate outcome of this case than ensuring that the evidence is presented in a venue controlled by the rules of evidence rather than in the court of public opinion,” Polk wrote in her request.

Ray’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. They said in court documents that they would file a formal response this week.

They also asked that the prosecutors’ motion be heard on Friday, when they also plan to argue for a reduced bail.

Ray faces three counts of manslaughter and is being held at in a Yavapai County jail on a $5 million bond. His attorneys have called the deaths a tragic accident and said Ray is not guilty.

Prosecutors contend Ray recklessly crammed more than 50 participants of his “Spiritual Warrior” event into a 415-square-foot sweat lodge and chided them for wanting to leave, even as people were vomiting, getting burned by hot rocks and lying on the ground.

Three people who never regained consciousness died at hospitals — Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., whose birthday was Monday; James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee; and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn. Eighteen others were hospitalized.

Sweat lodges are commonly used by American Indian tribes to cleanse the body. The ceremony involves heating stones outside the lodge and then placing them in a pit inside the lodge. The door is closed, and water is poured on the stones, producing heat aimed at releasing toxins from the body.

Public records show a pattern of illnesses at Ray-led events that he largely ignored. If convicted, Ray faces up to 12½ years on each count of manslaughter with probation being an option.

Booking photo of James Arthur Ray (Image source: Yavapai County Sheriff)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities have charged motivational speaker James Arthur Ray with three counts of manslaughter for deaths that happened after a sweat lodge ceremony he led in northern Arizona last year.

Ray was arrested Wednesday afternoon at his attorney’s office in Prescott on an indictment and was to be booked into the Yavapai County jail in Camp Verde, sheriff’s officials said. His bond is set at $5 million.

The Oct. 8 sweat lodge ceremony was intended to be the highlight of Ray’s five-day “Spiritual Warrior” event at a retreat he rented just outside Sedona. He told participants, who paid more than $9,000 each to attend, that it would be one of the most intense experiences of their lives.

About halfway through the two-hour ceremony, some began feeling ill, vomiting and collapsing inside the 415-square-foot structure. Despite that, Ray urged participants to push past their physical weaknesses and chided those who wanted to leave, authorities and participants have said.

Two people — Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee — passed out inside the sweat lodge and died that night at a hospital. Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., slipped into a coma and died a week later. Eighteen others were hospitalized.

One participant, Beverley Bunn, previously told The Associated Press that Ray did nothing to help the sick. Ray’s attorneys have countered that he took all necessary safety precautions and wasn’t aware of any medical problems until the ceremony was over.

He declined to speak with authorities that night, on the advice of his attorneys, public records have shown.

Authorities said they quickly determined the deaths were not accidental and focused their investigation on Ray. They conducted hundreds of interviews that reached into Ray’s past events, including one in which a man fell unconscious during a 2005 sweat lodge ceremony at the same retreat near Sedona.

The self-help superstar who teaches people about financial and spiritual wealth uses free seminars to recruit followers to more expensive events. His company, James Ray International, is based in Carlsbad, Ca.

Ray’s representatives have said there was no way Ray could have predicted the night’s tragic events. Had he heard any pleas for help inside the pitch-black sweat lodge, he would have stopped the ceremony immediately, Ray’s attorneys said.

Documents released in the investigation showed that some people lost consciousness and others suffered broken bones at past Ray-led events and that Ray largely ignored medical problems that arose.

In the weeks after the deaths, lawsuits accused Ray and the owners of the Angel Valley Retreat Center where the sweat lodge was held of negligence and fraud. Ray’s publisher postponed two book releases, and Ray canceled his appearances amid heavy criticism from survivors.

Amayra Hamilton, one of the Angel Valley owners, has said the staff had minimal contact with Ray over the seven years he held sweat lodges there, and that other groups had used the same lodge for ceremonies without any problems.

Bunn said she believes the “Spiritual Warrior” events should be called off indefinitely.

“It frightens me that I didn’t stand back a little more,” she said.

FILE-- This undated photo provided by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office shows unidentified people outside a sweat lodge where three people died after an Oct. 8, 2009 ceremony near Sedona, Ariz. The ceremony was led by author and motivational speaker James Arthur Ray, who sheriff's officials say is the focus of a homicide investigation. (AP Photo/Yavapai County Sheriff's Office)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of three people following a sweat lodge ceremony in northern Arizona were a tragic accident — not the result of criminal negligence, said attorneys for the self-help guru who led the ceremony.

Lawyers for James Arthur Ray outlined their defense in letters to prosecutors that were released on Wednesday. The attorneys said holding a sweat lodge ceremony is not inherently criminal or unsafe, and that Ray had no reason to believe anyone would be seriously injured or die.

“Mr. Ray did not force anyone to participate, prevent anyone from leaving or brainwash participants before the sweat lodge event,” stated a Dec. 1 letter signed by Ray attorney Luis Li.

Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk confirmed she received the letters but declined comment. Attorneys representing one woman who died and another who survived said the letters are well written but lack substance, and try to place the blame on others.

“He (Ray) put people in an enclosed area without water, without ventilation and put them in harm’s way,” said Lou Diesel, who represents one of the deceased. “There’s nothing they provided to suggest otherwise.”

Ray has become a self-help superstar by persuading people that his words will lead them to spiritual and financial wealth. He uses free seminars to recruit people to expensive seminars like the $9,000-plus “Spiritual Warrior” event aimed at conquering a person’s old self and being reborn as a new person.

The sweat lodge is the culminating event that symbolizes being in a mother’s womb. Nearly halfway through the two-hour ceremony, people began to show signs of weakness and three died. Eighteen others were hospitalized with illnesses ranging from dehydration to kidney failure.

Lawsuits filed after the deaths accuse Ray of negligence and fraud, among other things.

Authorities haven’t said what charges they might be seeking against Ray in a homicide investigation that threatens to topple his multimillion-dollar empire. But in late October, one detective told a witness that “we are going to be fortunate to get either reckless or negligent,” according to documents released Tuesday.

Authorities expect to turn over their investigation to prosecutors in the coming weeks.

Many of the more than 50 people who attended the five-day “Spiritual Warrior” retreat near Sedona first experienced a sweat lodge under Ray’s lead. Each signed a waiver acknowledging the ceremony would include tight, enclosed spaces and intense temperatures, and that serious injury and death were among the risks.

Ray encouraged them to stay inside for eight 10-15 minute rounds as a way to break through whatever was holding them back in life. Though no one was physically kept from leaving, Diesel said they were psychologically restrained by Ray’s teachings, and days of fasting, sleep deprivation and mind-altering breathing exercises.

At least one person didn’t participate in the sweat lodge and told investigators it did not appear safe. Others stayed in the entire time and reported no problems, while some went in and out as they were overcome by the heat.

Ray advised them against leaving during rounds as a safety precaution in the pitch-black lodge that had hot rocks in the center, his attorneys said.

Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., died.

Ray’s attorneys said participants could have left at any time, though some participants recalled Ray chiding others for doing that.

“It was not unreasonable and certainly not criminally negligent to expect people to know their limits and take care of themselves,” the attorneys wrote.

Only once, in 2005, did someone in one of Ray’s sweat lodges require medical care, and since then Ray has improved safety by limiting the number of rounds, holding the ceremony in daylight, setting up a recovery station and training staff in CPR, the attorneys said.

They are asking Arizona authorities to also consider whether environmental factors contributed to the deaths. Ray contracted with the owners of the Angel Valley Retreat Center to have the sweat lodge built, and his attorneys said it was up to the owners to ensure the sweat lodge was safe.

Amayra Hamilton, one of the owners, told The Associated Press in late October that the staff had minimal contact with Ray and that the lodge was sturdy, strong and had been used for ceremonies with other groups without any problems.

“The whole thing is, what do you do in that lodge?” she said.

This undated photo provided by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office shows unidentified people outside a sweat lodge where three people died after an Oct. 8, 2009 ceremony near Sedona

FLAGSTAFF (AP) — Authorities had hoped to turn over their investigation of the fatal sweat lodge ceremony in northern Arizona to prosecutors last month, but continue to ponder what, if any, charges the self-help guru who led dozens into the makeshift structure might face.

The Yavapai County sheriff’s office said investigators determined quickly after the Oct. 8 sauna-like ceremony that the deaths of three people weren’t accidental, and focused a homicide investigation on California self-help guru James Arthur Ray.

Authorities have been tightlipped, though, about whether any charges are forthcoming. They’ve declined to comment outside of news conferences and fought the release of documents in late December that showed a pattern of medical problems at Ray-led events that Ray largely ignored.

Any charges could bolster lawsuits filed against Ray after the deaths that accuse him of negligence and fraud, among other things.

The sweat lodge ceremony has been the culmination of Ray’s “Spiritual Warrior” retreats for years. About halfway through the two-hour ceremony, authorities said, some participants began to show signs of weakness, vomiting and collapsing inside the 415 square-foot makeshift structure, but the 911 call wasn’t made until about an hour later.

Ray’s representatives say he and the staff on site took all necessary safety precautions and acted immediately when participants became seriously ill, administering CPR, dousing people in water, aiding paramedics and providing drinking water.

Ray has hired his own investigative team to determine what went wrong.

“These precautions had been more than sufficient to care for sweat lodge participants in the past and exceed the care available in traditional lodges,” said a statement issued by Ray’s Carlsbad, Calif.-based company, James Ray International. “No one had any reason to think that more was required.”

Authorities are looking into the construction of the sweat lodge, the time it took for Ray and his staff to summon emergency medical care and Ray’s past events in which others were injured.

Kristina Bivins, who was among the sweat lodge participants, said many people have built a life around Ray’s teachings and would “absolutely” continue in his steps regardless of the outcome of the investigation. “If he holds an event at a community center or in a tent, we’ll be there,” said the 42-year-old San Francisco resident. “We just want to learn from James.”

Melinda Martin, the former event coordinator for James Ray International who lost her job after the “Spiritual Warrior” event, said participants had every reason to trust Ray but now should think twice. “If you can get with somebody who is thorough enough and their ego isn’t so big that they can’t have medical support standing by, that’s a big thing to look at,” she said.

Two people — Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee — died shortly after the sweat lodge ceremony at a hospital. Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., slipped into a coma and died a week later. The families of all three have been sent victims’ rights letters, an indication of possible criminal charges. Eighteen others were hospitalized.

“We’re just looking forward to coming to a conclusion both civilly and criminally,” said Lou Diesel, an attorney for Neuman’s family. “We want to get to the bottom of why these people were killed.”

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

Ray announced on his blog on Thursday that he needs to dedicate all his “physical and emotional energies” to bringing closure to the matter.

Ray is the subject of a criminal investigation by Arizona authorities looking into the Oct. 8 sweat lodge ceremony at a high-priced retreat outside Sedona. Besides the three deaths, 18 others among more than 55 people inside the sweat lodge were hospitalized. No charges have been filed.

Ray has not spoken to Yavapai County investigators, but says he is cooperating fully and writes that he is “helping the authorities and the families get to the bottom of what happened.”

Authorities are investigating the Oct. 8 ceremony at a retreat near Sedona, led by motivational speaker James Arthur Ray. Three participants died and 18 were hospitalized after the sweat lodge ceremony.

“I would like to honestly see him behind bars. I think that what he did was negligent and resulted in the deaths of three people,” Liz Neuman’s daughter, Andrea Puckett, told KARE-TV in Minneapolis. “I would like to see him not doing his work anymore, I don’t think he should do this to other people.”

The family intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Ray soon. Ray’s attorney, Brad Brian, told The Associated Press that all the participants were fully informed of the health risks that could be posed by sweat lodges — and said Ray was not responsible for the design or maintenance of the lodge in question.

“None of this changes the reality that this was a terrible accident, but we hope everyone will resist a rush to judgment until all of the facts are known,” Brian said.

Neuman, 49, died more than a week after the ceremony at a Flagstaff hospital. The other two victims died at a hospital the night of the ceremony: Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee.

In all, between 55 and 65 people took part in the sweat lodge ceremony, the highlight of a five-day program at the private retreat near Sedona. Participants and law enforcement officials previously told The Associated Press that the two-hour ceremony degenerated into chaos as people became sick, but were encouraged by Ray to stay inside for the entire time.

Neuman’s relatives said she faithfully followed the teachings of Ray, an author whose “Spiritual Warrior” program encouraged participants to realize their potential. Puckett said her mother, who had attended previous retreats led by Ray, had become a leader in his organization.

“She always comes back rejuvenated and ready to tackle life,” Puckett said. But, she added, her mother “trusted Mr. Ray to lead the sweat lodge appropriately.”

She said Ray didn’t call the family until a day after her mother died.

Neuman and twenty others were transported to local hospitals on October 8th, after falling ill during a sweat lodge ceremony.

None of the other retreat participants remain hospitalized.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the deaths and has recently elevated their investigation from an accidental death inquiry to a homicide investigation.

"Sweatbox" structure (AP/YCSO Photo)

SEDONA (NAZ Today)– The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is increasing the number of people working on the Angel Valley Resort sweat lodge investigation.  Yavapai County Sheriff’s spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn says that the additional investigators are being assigned from the county’s Criminal Investigations Section.

Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh requested, and was granted, an order to seal the search warrant and other documents relating to the case.  “In order to prevent jeopardizing investigative work resulting from the release of search warrant documents, the Yavapai County Superior Court has granted a request from the County Attorney’s Office to seal the search warrant and any associated documents,” said D’Evelyn.

Three patients are still at Flagstaff Medical Center, and as of 10 AM this morning, one was listed in critical condition, one in fair condition, and one in good condition.  38-year-old Kirby Brown of Westtown, N.Y., and 40-year-old James Shore of Milwaukee died Thursday evening and 19 other people were injured when they were overcome Thursday evening at the sweat lodge.