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Press in the News

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November 5, 1985 Scientologists Block Access to Secret Documents In one of the largest court demonstrations in Los Angeles in years, about 1,500 Church of Scientology members crammed three floors of the County Courthouse on Monday, effectively blocking public access to documents that the church considers secret and sacred. For hours, Scientologists swamped workers in the clerk's office with hundreds of requests to photocopy the documents, which reveal some of the organization's most fundamental beliefs. Scientology attorneys have argued that disclosure of the materials is a violation of the group's religious freedom. Los Angeles, Press, Scientology and Society
October 17, 1985 Former Scientology Aide Wins Ruling On Church Records The state Supreme Court yesterday allowed a former Church of Scientology official to obtain church records in a suit against the group. The action lifts the court's order of September 10 blocking release of the records of "audits," or examinations, of church members, to Gerald Armstrong, who resigned in 1981 as archivist of the church's Los Angeles branch. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul Breckenridge has said the church declared Armstrong a "suppressive person," and employees spied on him, assaulted him and hit him with a car. assault, Gerry Armstrong, harassment, Press
October 8, 1985 Suit Against Scientology Founder Protested About 200 members of a group calling itself the Religious Freedom Crusade held a rally to protest a $30 million suit filed in 1983 in US District Court against L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, by Boston lawyer Michael Flynn. Flynn, whose suit alleges that the church has engaged in harassment against him, has represented former church members in various suits against the church across the country. Boston, harassment, lawsuits, Michael Flynn, Press
April 19, 1985 Witness Says Judge Probed A Portland judge who presided over a fraud trial involving the Church of Scientology in 1979 was the target of a covert operation by the church aimed at learning his attitudes about drug usage and sexual promiscuity, a former Scientologist testified. harassment, lawsuits, Press, What's Wrong with Scientology?
April 17, 1985 Court Hears Final Scientology Tape Jurors in the Church of Scientology fraud trial Tuesday listened to the last of five hours of surreptitiously-taped conversations in which a former Scientologist talked about a plan to "transform" church leadership by filing suit to take managerial control. In the final two recorded meetings, Armstrong said he "wouldn't touch" an idea posed by his questioner about writing false materials on the letterhead of a private investigator, whom Armstrong believed was pursuing him on behalf of the church. As it turned out, the private investigator was the one making the tapes. Gerry Armstrong, harassment, Press
April 5, 1985 Judge Rules Out Videotapes Aimed At Discrediting Witness An attempt to discredit a witness testifying against the Church of Scientology in a fraud trial hit a snag Thursday when a Portland judge called surreptitiously made videotapes an "amateurish performance" and refused to let them be shown to the jury. "I think they are devastating, devastating against the church," Multnomah Circuit Judge Donald H. Londer said out of the presence of the jury after viewing 108 minutes of tape recorded in a Los Angeles park last November. crimes, defamation, Gerry Armstrong, lawsuits, Press
April 2, 1985 Hubbard's Absence Leads to Dismissal of Scientology Suit A Los Angeles federal judge dismissed Monday a $2-million libel suit by the Church of Scientology of California against a Boston lawyer because of the failure of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to appear at a court-ordered deposition. A Scientology attorney claimed that Hubbard was not available to be deposed. Waving a Scientology advertisement, the judge asked, "Then why do you advertise that he can be reached?" L. Ron Hubbard, lawsuits, Los Angeles, CA, Michael Flynn, Press
January 15, 1985 Defendants Answer Summonses Crown Attorney Is Predicting Long Trial In Scientology Case A Crown attorney says he expects a lengthy trial for the Church of Scientology of Toronto and 16 members and former members charged as a result of a four-year police anti-rackets investigation. The accused face one or more of three charges - theft over $200, possession of stolen documents and breach of trust. The church itself faces 17 charges. crimes, Guardian Office, Press, Toronto
December 21, 1984 Scientology Papers Opened And Then Resealed by Court Hours after thousands of personal records and writings of the founder of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, were released by a court to day, a judge ordered the papers resealed. Judge Lawrence Waddington of Superior Court responded to an emergency lawsuit filed by church members named in the papers who claimed their privacy rights were violated. The papers include diaries, letters, military records and unpublished manuscripts. News organizations were to be allowed only one 90-minute opportunity each Thursday to view the material. L. Ron Hubbard, lawsuits, Press
December 21, 1984 OPP Pressed To Identify 19 Charged In Scientology Probe Lawyers with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney-General say they will press the Ontario Provincial Police to release the names of 19 individuals charged in connection with an investigation into the Church of Scientology of Toronto. All day yesterday, the OPP refused to release the names of the accused because they said not all of them had been served with a summons requiring them to appear in court next month. crimes, Press, Toronto

Press in the News

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May 12, 2006 Polish Scientologists Ordered to Remove Tents When Scientology erected tents in Warsaw's city center to attract new members, city officials ordered them taken down. Press
September 30, 1996 Patrice Vic Trial Begins - Scientology Executive Charged with Manslaughter Trial begins in the death of Patrice Vic. Scientology executive Jean-Jacques Mazier is charged with manslaughter, and 22 other Scientologists also face charges. crimes, deaths, France, Patrice Vic, Press