Volume 4, Issue 25 vom 19. 09. 1999

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 4, Issue 25
09/19/99
by Rod Keller
rkeller@voicenet.com
copyright 1999

Contents

  1. Austria
  2. Insurance Fraud
  3. Jive Aces
  4. In Memorium
  5. Denmark
  6. Jenna Elfman
  7. France
  8. Germany
  9. Hungary
  10. Lisa McPherson
  11. Keith Henson
  12. Protest Summary
  13. Lisa Marie Presley
  14. Sweden

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors, whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles in the newsgroup before expiring them.

Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me at

rkeller@voicenet.com
It is archived at:

http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/
http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

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Austria

Der Standard published an article on September 15th on Scientology's use of last week's U.S. State Department report to justify itself in Austria.

"The Scientology Church, which is controversial in Austria, feels that its criticism of the federal government has been validated by the US State Department report, 'Religious Freedom 1999 in Austria.' In it the U.S. administration primarily regards the federal laws for religious denominations and the legal entity of the Federal Center for Sect Issues 'with concern.' A delegation of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and the State Department testified to administration representatives on a visit to Austria in March that the two laws were not in agreement with 'the European Human Rights Convention or other international treaties.' Discrimination and 'social mistrust' against members of non-acknowledged religions described as section was criticized. However, the Austrian Constitution guarantees religious freedom on principle, and this right is respected in practice."

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Insurance Fraud

The Knoxville News-Sentinel published an article this week on a Tennessee dentist who committed insurance fraud as part of his Scientology management training.

"A retired Campbell County dentist admitted Friday in federal court to defrauding the Medicaid/TennCare program and private dental insurance plans out of more than $200,000 over a five-year period. The illegal activity began in 1992, the same year Dr. Richard E. Brittain Jr., 44, started awarding his staff free cruises or cash bonuses if they met revenue goals, according to plea agreement papers.

"In 1992, Brittain attended a management training program in California conducted by the Church of Scientology, the plea papers stated. The church's members also came to LaFollette to train Brittain's staff to 'boom the practice' by offering incentives to them to increase monthly billing. As part of the program, Brittain set revenue goals for each month, according to the papers. If the staff met those goals within a three-month period, the dentist would award them with free cruises or with $1,000 cash bonuses. 'After the implementation of the financial incentive program, monthly revenues increased by 100 percent,' the papers stated.

"Brittain, who will remain free on a $15,000 bond pending a Nov. 18 sentencing, faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for the offense."

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Jive Aces

An ad in the Tampa Weekly Planet this week announced a concert for Scientology's Jive Aces jazz band.

"SWING FEST - free dance concert. JIVE ACES Tribute to Benny Goodman Coachman Park Clearwater. Raising Awareness for the ENVIRONMENT! Sponsored by the Church of Scientology. For more info call 727 445-4366. Sunday Sept. 26, 6pm-8:30pm"

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In Memorium

The San Diego Union-Tribune carried the obituary of LaVerne Jardine this week.

"LaVERNE JARDINE June 25, 1922-Sept. 6, 1999. LaVerne Jardine, 77, of Santee died Monday. She was born in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Jardine was a homemaker, an artist, and a minister in the Church of Scientology. She served in the Navy during World War II. Survivors include her husband, Carl T. Jardine; and sister, Dorothy M. Hafner of El Cajon."

The Salt Lake Tribune published the obituary of Bob Smith. The memorial fund's phone number is that of the Scientology org.

"John Robert (Bob) Smith was born June 20, 1954 and departed September 11, 1999. He died due to a sudden heart attack. He is survived by 3 brothers; Alfred Smith of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bill Smith of New Orleans, LA; and Ray Smith of Kearns, UT. Bob was born in Salt Lake City, UT and attended South High School where he graduated in 1972. He was a minister for the Church of Scientology for 17 years with over 35,000 hours of ministerial service. His efforts have influenced thousands of lives and his dedication set a stellar example of true help to mankind.

"In lieu of flowers a fund will be established. If interested, please call Judy or Wendy at (801) 485-9992."

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Denmark

Ritzau reported on September 10th that a Danish production company has filed suit against Scientology.

"A suit against Scientology has been filed in the district court of Copenhagen, by Joergen Pedersen from the television production company Net-Produktion. Simultaneously, the freelance journalist Tom Heinemann is preparing a suit against the cult in both the district court, and at the board of press ethics, according to the newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad. Joergen Pedersen demands for Scientology to be convicted of defamation, and that they will have to declare a number of statements which they made were unfounded.

"The statements were put forward in a special edition of the cult's magazine 'Frihed', after Net-Produktion had made a critical television broadcast about the organization. The broadcast 'Religion or money machine?' was shown in June, during a theme evening on Danish Radio 2, and subsequently Scientology complained to the board of press ethics. Joergen Pedersen also wants to be cleared from accusations of having been connected to the former East German intelligence agency, Stasi, through an East German agent, Walter Heynowski."

JyllandsPosten published an article on September 14th on a meeting held by International Dialog in Aarhus on the topic of Scientology.

"They did not agree about much, but the young people, who arrived at the Sct. Annagades School with lots of critical questions and a great interest in discussing religion and culture, did learn a bit more about what Scientology is and stands for after the meeting with two convinced scientologists. The meeting was arranged by the youth organisation International Dialog and was a sort of a 're-visit' for the two scientologists, who had to leave a meeting in the spring, where a former member told about his experiences with Scientology - and almost broke down with the two in the audience.

"'We prefer to discuss directly with the people, whose opinions we wish to learn about. That is why we previously, for example, have had meetings with members of UFO organizations, Danish muslims - and a former member of Scientology, when we wanted to know what it is like to quit the organisation,' the chairman explained, before she welcomed Soren Refstrup, who is a public relations employee at Scientology [he is head of the local OSA] in Aarhus, and Lars Najbjerg, who characterizes himself as a 'private scientologist'. The 33 year old is, however, so convinced that he has now quit his job in order to study Scientology full time.

"'Scientology is a religion, because it refers to the spiritual - that with which you think, listen and decide,' Soren Refstrup explained. 'In Scientology we seek total freedom for the spiritual values - that is, in short, what it is all about.'"

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Jenna Elfman

E! Online carried an interview with Scientology celebrity Jenna Elfman's agent.

"The agent brought up J.E.'s involvement with Scientology, a notorious organization that has itself poked into my own personal life--just as, I suppose, I'm doing with Jenna's. (The former poking began when I helped compile a story on the organization while at Premiere.) 'I don't get involved with that side of her life,' he proclaimed, right before telling me she uses a Scientology-devised chart for gauging the advantages of doing publicity."

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France

Following the news that court files in a case against French Scientologists have been reported missing, Agence France Presse reported on September 15th that French authorities believe Scientology has a plant in the French President's office.

"The Church of Scientology had a mole in the French presidency and tried to infiltrate defence and police departments in France, the head of a sect-busting government committee said in an interview published Wednesday by Le Figaro newspaper. 'The Scientologists succeeded, it is said, in infiltrating the cabinet of a former president of the republic -- a claim that has never been denied,' the chairman of the government sect-fighting body, Alain Vivien, said without elaborating. He added that 'it is also said that there was an attempt to infiltrate' the French defence forces' arms procurement department and the judicial police.

"Vivien also said that, while he opposed a blanket ban on sects, his committee favoured dissolving 'extremely dangerous' organisations including the Church of Scientology and the Order of the Solar Temple, of which several members had committed suicide."

The Associated Press reported that French Justice officials claim the disappearance is a mistake.

"The controversial disappearance of 3 tons of documentary evidence in the upcoming trial of several members of the Church of Scientology was due to a mistake by a court clerk, the French justice minister said Wednesday. Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou said a report by inspectors turned into her Tuesday 'confirmed that this disappearance is an error.' Work methods would need to be revised, she added.

"The documents were related to an investigation that began in 1990 into Scientology leaders in Marseille and Nice for alleged fraud, illegal practice of medicine and premeditated violence. They are to go on trial on Sept. 20."

>From Berlin Morgenpost on September 15th:

"'The Scientologists have succeeded in infiltrating the environment of a former state president; that has never been denied,' said Alain Vivien, Director of the Interministerial Work Group against Sects. Members of the organization were also alleged to have tried to infiltrate the anti-terrorism unit of the French police (Raid). However, Vivien made no statement as to which of State President Jacques Chirac's predecessors could have been meant. Apparently, though, he meant an affair from 1990 uncovered by the Parisian journalist, Serge Faubert, in a minutely researched book in 1993. At the time, Faubert could prove that Scientology agents held targeted strategic positions in the Parisian Culture and Interior Ministry. A 'mole' with the cover name of 'F 10' even worked in the same environment as Francois Mitterrand, who was state president at the time. This agent, among other things, was able to see to it that Mitterrand took an investigative judge, who was regarded as a 'hard-liner,' off the case against top Scientologists in France for negligent death.

"Besides that, Faubert was also able to identify another Scientologist in Mitterrand's offices. His revelations, however, did not lead to a big scandal, since 'higher interests' were at stake. Nevertheless, the Scientology agent, F 10, known in civilian life as Pierre-Ives G., was removed from the service a little after that."

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Germany

Mannheimer Morgen reported on September 14th that the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg has published a brochure, warning of the dangers of Scientology.

"The state office for Constitutional Security in Baden-Wuerttemberg warned against giving up surveillance of the Scientology Organization (SO). 'Constitutional Security continues to be tasked with revealing the machinations of the SO,' stated the President of the state office, Helmut Rannacher, at the announcement of the publication of a new brochure on the goals and background of the organization, which has been classified as hostile to democracy.

"Scientology was said to be continuing its efforts to convert the social order into a totalitarian system, said Rannacher. In doing that, it is maintaining its long-term strategy of infiltrating important social areas. Baden-Wuerttemberg is the site of heavy Scientology activity. Of the approximately five to six thousand members nationwide, 1,200 are believed to live in the southwest [area of Germany]. As published by the study, they are questioned about 'the most intimate things' in their lives in so-called 'auditing sessions,' which resemble interrogations. By doing that, members become capable of being blackmailed. At the end is said to be 'a prison of thought and exchange.' The brochure can be ordered from the state office for Constitutional Security in Stuttgart."

>From Stuttgarter Nachrichten, on September 14th:

"From the way the Baden-Wuerttemberg Constitutional Security agency sees things, the Scientology Organization should continue to be observed. About two years after the start of the surveillance by state security, no reason exists to call off the alert, said Helmut Rannacher, the president of the agency, in a statement. Scientology invariably strives to gain power over people and influence in politics, business and society, using methods which are sometimes questionable. In contrast, the departing Constitutional Security chief from Nordrhein-Westphalia, Fritz Achim Baumann, had expressed strong doubts two weeks ago about the purpose of such surveillance."

Metzinger Suedwestpresse published a report on September 14th on Germans involved in Scientology's Narconon program.

"Narconon, according to its own statement, is one of the most effective rehabilitation programs of the world. Despite that, branches had to be closed down in Berlin and Schliersee, Bavaria, after spectacular lawsuits, because they were violating the medical practice law. The director of the institution was sentenced in 200 cases because he did not have any evidence of education in the medical profession. The organization also accepted a serious defeat in Baden-Wuerttemberg. In Narconon's lawsuit against the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Narconon was not able to produce a single, cured patient. Although Narconon often disputed belonging to Scientology, that has turned out to be a verified fact. In one written communication which the establishment published, it said, 'Our activities can be seen to contribute to the expansion of Scientology.' It has also since become clear that most members are ruined financially, physically and psychically with the drug therapy which is seemingly so convincing and which is supposed to gain new members for the sect.

"Henriette (Name changed by editorial staff) was 16 years old when she was sent to the Narconon establishment in Itzehoe by her mother, a professed Scientologist. When Henriette showed up at her father's for the first time after six weeks, she had a skin condition which covered her entire body. Her fathered traced this back to the method of treatment at Narconon. He had found out that vitamins were distributed at the Scientology offshoot which exceeded the daily dose of an adult by 250 times; on top of that, large quantities of niacin were handed out. Along with that were daily sauna sessions for from four to five hours. According to Narconon and the writings of L. Ron Hubbard (the founder of Scientology), these were 'completely normal symptoms,' because 'not only was drug addiction overcome by the therapy, but also past sunburn reappeared and was healed and, in addition, the therapy makes one immune against radioactivity.'

"When the father talked to his daughter about the machinations of the institution, he heard sentences like, 'I do not condemn your actions, therefore, do not condemn mine. My mother is doing nothing that could harm me. The only important thing is that I love you.' At the time, the father was flattered by these sentences. Today he knows that they come directly from Hubbard's 'Ethics Book,' which describes how to handle Scientology opponents. Because the mother could not be spoken with any more, the father filed at the municipal office to get custody rights and put an end to his daughter's stay at Narconon."

Passauer Neue Presse reported on September 16th that interest in Scientology may be fading.

"The big public interest in Scientology is fading away. 'However that does not take care of the whole problem on the psycho-market,' points out the sect commissioner of the Fulda Diocese, Reverend Ferdinand Rauch. The reason Scientology often gains public notice, namely 'brainwashing in training rooms and on the psycho-market' in order to win influence in commercial operations, that often happens nowadays almost unnoticed in less conspicuous surroundings than that of the smarting child of Scientology, in the alleged 'widening consciousness,' emphasized Reverend Rauch."

Berliner Morgenpost published an article on September 17th, updating the story of Otto Drekslger, a police official accused of membership in Scientology.

"'Nobody has apologized to my husband. Nobody from the CDU.' Mrs. Dreksler is outraged. Only the Buendnis/Greens seriously backed the reinstatement of her husband. She does not want to speculate for what reason that may be. 'Impudence,' she murmured as Interior Senator Eckart Werthebach (CDU) said that his predecessor, Interior Senator Joerg Schoenbohm (CDU), had apologized to Dreksler and reinstated him. She does not believe that is right; she believes that nobody has apologized. Her husband was to have been promoted before the Scientology accusations became known; the promotion was then said to have been stopped. Her husband now works in the police academy as department head. Two days before his transfer to the academy, his promised position of vice director was given to someone else.

"Eckart Werthebach, who saw Mrs. Dreksler for the first time this day, tried to calm her. 'Politically, the case is through being discussed. However, the state attorney's investigation into the anonymous letter and the falsified press release is still open,' explained the Interior Senator. However, he is not able to say whether the investigations will yield results as to who kicked off the Dreksler affair in March 1998, or even if the investigation will be successfully concluded. 'I want to know who the guilty person is,' said Mrs. Dreksler."

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Hungary

Focus magazine reported on September 13th that a Hungarian has registered a web address, and has been attempting to get Scientology to pay him for it.

"A Hungarian tried for months to extort money from the Scientology Organization with a pornographic web site. A Budapest district court has now given the 23 year old one year probation for his action, reported the 'Magyar Nemzet,' a Hungarian daily newspaper. The Hungarian had written several e-mails to the Scientology Center in Los Angeles, in which he demanded first $25,000, then $30,000 to take down the web site.

"The extortionist had established a web page on the internet under the address of www.dianetika.com on which he had been publishing pornographic photographs of Hungarian beauties since November 1998. The address and layout was selected so that the page could have easily and mistakenly be taken for one of the Scientology organization."

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Lisa McPherson

An affidavit by Jesse Prince was posted to a.r.s this week concerning the Lisa McPherson case. Some excerpts:

"I am intimately familiar with the organization, movement, beliefs, practices and technologies of Scientology. I served in the highest ranks of Scientology, including second in command of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), the most senior body of Scientology. Beginning in March of 1983 and until the Spring of 1987, I held the position of 'Deputy Inspector General, External'. In this position, I was one of three members of the Board of Directors of RTC while David Miscavige was on its Board of Trustees. I was in charge of supervising all activities in every aspect of Scientology.

"I have personally witnessed executive decisions directed to members instructing them to 'end cycle', i.e., die. I have personally read written instructions by Ray Mithoff concerning the following individuals: Diane Morrison, a personal friend of mine. She had cancer. Radiation treatment is forbidden by Scientology. She was instructed by Ray Mithoff to 'end cycle.' Her husband, Shawn Morrison, was ordered by Ray Mithoff to transport her off of the Scientology property at Gilman Hotsprings, California, to her mother's house so that she would not die on Scientology property. Ted Cormier, a personal friend of mine. He had Parkinson's disease. He was ordered to leave Gilman Hotsprings and go directly to Flag for NOTS 34, auditing to cure his cancer. When this failed, Ray Mithoff sent him orders in his Pre-Clear folder for him to 'end cycle.' He died.

"In the four instances of Isolation I observed, the person was locked in a room with at least two other people guarding the exit door. The people that watch the person in a psychotic break are not allowed to talk to the person at all. They are only allowed to physically restrain the person. The reason there are people guarding the exit door is that the person wants to leave and attempts to leave time after time. By their own policy the person in a psychotic break is not allowed to leave until the Case Supervisor allows it.

"In 1987, I was at a place called Happy Valley, located behind the Soboba Indian Reservation in California. Happy Valley is where the Scientology Rehabilitation Project Force, RPF, is located. It is a prison /slave labor camp for Scientologists who no longer ascribe totally to the doctrine of Scientology. I, along with six other Sea Org members, were ordered to do a 'isolation watch' on another Sea Org member who was having a psychotic break. Prior to having the psychotic break the person was very normal. She had been deprived of sleep for many days due to a deadline she was ordered to meet on her job. She was sent to 'Ethics' and was constantly humiliated and degraded for making errors and for falling asleep at her work station. When she was given to me to watch she was on her hands and knees and literally barking like a dog. She thought she was L. Ron Hubbard. It was at this time that I learned how forced feeding was done and the extent of restraint we all had to enforce on a young woman barely 5 feet tall. I was horrified at just how close she was to losing her life due to the 'help' we were being ordered to give her. Even though she was now being allowed to sleep, she could not sleep and had been up for nearly four days. She was in a very agitated and violent state. She would scream for hours until she could scream no more. She fought to escape and mutilated herself in the process. Finally a doctor was called in and it took four people plus the doctor to hold her down to give her a shot to make her go to sleep.

"In Dec, 1998, Scientology representative Glenn Stilo brought Lisa McPherson's Pre Clear files to the office of Ken Dandar by order of this court for inspection. I have also reviewed the 'caretaker logs' of Lisa McPherson at the Fort Harrison Hotel and her Ethics File. It is obvious from these files that Lisa McPherson complained that auditing and Scientology were not working for her in 1995 and that she wanted to leave and return to Texas. Her 'stats' were down, i.e., her production and income at AMC Publishing. As a result, she was placed in Ethics at her work where the records revealed that she was constantly doing 'amends' and writing 'O/W's', overts and write-ups, which resulted in less time to obtain adequate sleep which further, in my own observations, leads to psychotic breaks. This is confirmed by L. Ron Hubbard in his own writings, 'Introspection Rundown Additional Steps.'

"In terms of the report and control of RTC, it is required by any and all Scientology organizations to report directly to RTC any extreme deviations from 'standard tech'. For example, it would be considered a deviation when a Scientology Pre-Clear, (a person that has paid for auditing services from Scientology), has left Scientology and threatens to sue. Other examples would include a Pre-Clear who is not getting the expected results or one who has had a psychotic break (PTS Type III). Once the RTC Tech Unit completed a review of a Pre-Clear folder, it would be sent back via the Office of the Senior Case Supervisor International (located in Church of Scientology International) to ensure compliance to orders and correction as deemed necessary by the RTC Tech Unit. CSI receives updated status reports and without question would have received updated status reports on the Isolation of Lisa McPherson and her deteriorating medical condition because RTC has an on site representative at FLAG. These reports would be composed and sent up line to Ray Mithoff at RTC by the Senior Case Supervisor, Alain Kartuzinski. Ray Mithoff would then take the report to RTC. The Office of Special Affairs, OSA, locally and internationally, would be informed of the Isolation as well. Marty Rathbun, Inspector General Ethics, is over all the legal affairs of every case and situation in Scientology and would also have knowledge of a PTS Type III in Isolation.

"RTC receives all reports on situations involving Isolation for guidance from RTC to the Senior Case Supervisor, Sr. C/S. RTC then reports the matter to Sr. C/S INT, i.e., International, office for further investigation. Sr. C/S INT then reports back to the RTC Reports Officer. Ray Mithoff is the Sr. C/S INT at CSI, the mother church. Ray Mithoff, Marty Rathbun and David Miscavige, as they have done on other occasions within my personal knowledge, meet and discuss various options available to Scientology on how to deal with a public relations flap. No one else has the authority to do so. Lisa McPherson was such a public relations flap to Scientology since she took her clothes off in public and was placed in Isolation.

"Based upon my own experience and Scientology procedures and protocol, these three individuals would have met and discussed on several occasions what to do with Lisa since she was not improving in Isolation. Yet, from the available records, it is apparent to me that these three individuals: Mithoff, Rathbun, and Miscavige, had no option other than to permit her to die in Isolation rather than take her to the hospital for emergency medical treatment and risk embarrassing questions from the attending physicians, press, and authorities with likely claims of imprisonment and abuse being made by Lisa McPherson upon her recovery. This is true because in Scientology it is never an option to be held accountable. It is obvious to me that the decision was to permit Lisa McPherson to die rather than face an extreme public relations flap by taking her to the local emergency room in her morbid condition as described in the 'caretaker logs.'"

The affidavit was discussed at a hearing in the McPherson case, in which it was decided that Jesse Prince may be present at all depositions. From the St. Petersburg Times:

"More than two years have passed since the family of Lisa McPherson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, but both sides are still launching new and increasingly vigorous legal attacks. The ongoing tempest continued Monday when lawyers for the church said they have uncovered evidence that an aunt of McPherson's was fraudulently named to represent McPherson's estate. The estate and the aunt, Dell Liebreich of Texas, are the only plaintiffs in the case. If the allegation were proved, the church would ask Hillsborough Circuit Judge James S. Moody Jr. to remove both plaintiffs and dismiss the case.

"Also Monday, the Tampa lawyer who represents McPherson's family sought to expand the lawsuit for the fifth time, this time asking that the church's top ecclesiastical leader, David Miscavige, be added as a defendant. Ken Dandar asserted in a motion that Miscavige, based in Los Angeles, had final authority over McPherson's care in Clearwater and thus contributed to her death. Dandar says the motion is supported by an affidavit from Jesse Prince, once a top Scientology official and now a critic of the church. Outraged at Prince's involvement, Scientology's lawyers sought to ban him from participating in the case. They played for the judge a 15-second video showing Prince using a profane reference to Miscavige while Prince picketed Scientology's headquarters in Clearwater last year. Church lawyer Sandy Weinberg said Prince's presence during sworn depositions would be so 'incendiary' that no Scientologist could sit in the same room 'without some incident.' Moody declined to exclude Prince from the case. But he placed all documents regarding Prince's affidavit under seal until a Sept. 24 hearing."

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Keith Henson

Scientology was awarded an additional $10,000 from Keith Henson for legal fees in his appeal of the judgment against him for copyright violation.

"Appellee, Religious Technology Center has requested over $135,000 for attorney's fees and expenses incurred in the Appeal of Court No. 98-16146. We do not find that a large sum is necessary for purposes of deterrence. Henson has already been ordered to pay $75,000 for the infringement, along with $75,000 in attorney's fees and $13,000 in costs at the District Court level. RTC hired numerous copyright specialists, who spent a considerable amount of time litigating this relatively simple case, and who were more than familiar with the law on appeal. By contrast, for most of the appellate proceedings, Henson acted pro se. Under the circumstances RTC's Attorney's fees request is excessive. We conclude that a modest award is nevertheless warranted, primarily for deterrence purposes. We therefore award RTC $10,000."

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Protest Summary

Arnie Lerma described a protest held at the Washington, DC org this week.

"Nobody came out for the longest time, some folks out back, some kids in and out, I told all them that THERE WERE NO OTS THERE or we wouldn't be there. A local who said he saw a notice posted to a lamppost somewhere for the picket came up and started picketing with us. Now we were 5. All picketers listened to a veritable BUZZZ of replies, such as: Way to go! I agree! Thanks for coming down. Honks from passing cars.

"One cultie asked Scott Mayer Why are you here? He replied 'For the joy of it' Why are you mad at scientology? 'Because they killed two of my friends'

"Shortly after Charlotte Kates arrived, now we were 8! Charlotte engaged Sylvia one on one for a good long time and really went at it, they were trying to claim that SHE infiltrated scientology. I first met Charlotte on 15th Street as me and frank Oliver were entering the office building to meet with the German Entquette Commission, I handed her a flyer, as she stood outside with some other kids holding signs. She was an OSA volunteer. Now she confronted her old employers. They were not pleased.

"Another fellow showed up, Now we were 9! a guy that was actually inside DC Org on March 13th and his face can be seen looking out an upper window in a picket video somewhere. A fellow came out, obviously agitated and said forcefully 'YOU WERE MY AUDITOR! HOW COULD YOU BETRAY US?'"

Roland Rashleigh-Berry protested at Saint Hill.

"Our happy band arrived and we met up with none other than Ron Lawley. He is the person who went into the Copenhagen Org dressed, some years ago, in a fake Sea Org uniform, started shouting at everybody and accusing them of out-ethics and squirreling the tech and demanded they hand over a complete copy of the NOTs so he could take it back to find out what they had squirreled. Of course they rushed around like lunatics and quickly gave him the NOTs so he kept a straight face (good TRs) and walked out with them.

"It was me, Jens, Dave B., Ian P. Freely and Hartley P. We met up with Steve Carmichael-Timson there. The response from the clams at St Hill was slow to put it mildly. They eventually came out and took pictures of use as I and Steve took pictures of them. Dave was on the sound system enturbulating them in-between very enturbulating Hubbard quotes. At two o'clock we knocked off and returned to the 'Broadway', our usual pub and meeting place.

"The clam shop on the London Road usually closes its shutters when we are there. I could see people going in and out of the clam-shop through the window of the pub. It seems like the last time we were there they lost a few staff members through our revealing the secrets of OT III. So this time our handlers were all OTs who had done OT III. They had a few stooges who came up to us and pretended to be wogs and asked us why we were there. I blew their cover apart straight away by saying that we didn't know why we were there and probably the people inside had been out-ethics or had committed some crime and had 'pulled us in'. I used up some of my lung power revealing OT III to the children inside the clam shop. One of them even took a 'Scam' flyer inside."

Keith Henson protested in San Jose this week.

"I picketed the San Jose org from 6:16 pm to 7 pm. There were 33 cars when I started. Because so many left, I counted again at the end and there were only 18. No interesting confrontation, though 'blue shirt' (wearing an polo shirt today) did stop on his way out and yell at me for being crazy. Hey, I replied to him, *I* am not the one who thinks he is infested with murdered space aliens."

Phil Scott protested the San Francisco org this week.

"I had my 'Did Scientology kill Lisa' sign (both sides) no fliers. Two or three publics were out front on break, 3 or 4 staff, two women dressed in SO blue skirts and white blouses, one very young and blond the other a bit older. The cult members were out of break and I talked to a few, the staff was sullen, the public was 'reasonable'. I think Arnie's new remark 'its worse than you think' is the best line so far, it gets past the notion that its all innocent."

"Fier" reported a protest at the Canberra, Australia org.

"A Leafleting day, noon-2pm as it was too windy for signs. 3 of us, Fier, Sparrow, and Mr Smith. The clam count fluctuated from 1 to 5, we quite often outnumbered them. The clams gave out Freedom and more dianetics, purif and other promo. We gave out Xenu (70) Lisa (20) Why we picket (40) space alien $cam and some 'Hubbard in his own words' flyers, which were all well received. They simply attack our sources, discredit our collections of personal stories slander us with implication of child molesting and shoot themselves in the foot in other often amusing ways. Like for example OSA's argument that the court cases on the net are irrelevant 'because they are old'."

Bruce Pettycrew protested at the Mesa, Arizona org.

"Kathy and I picketed from 8:30 to 9:30 AM this morning. There were only three people at the Borg during this time. One person wanted to remind me that America was built on freedom of religion; after I told him that it was the _actions_ of the Co$ that we were picketing, and that freedom of speech was the basis of freedom of religion, he stated that he thought that we were 'doing the right thing.'"

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Lisa Marie Presley

Star magazine reports that Scientology celebrity Lisa Marie Presley has left her Scientologist boyfriend for another man.

"Lisa Marie Presley is head over heels in love with a new man, mop-haired musician John Oszajca. Her hot new romance comes right after she dumped her ex-bodyguard Luke Watson. Lisa and John went public last week in Manhattan when they playfully locked lips for the camera in front of Italian designer Versace's lavish store during a shopping spree. Lisa and Luke had been dating for six months. He is a fellow Scientologist who started out as her bodyguard and became her fiancee. They had planned an August wedding at The Scientology Celebrity Center in Clearwater, Fla. 'Lisa is really on top of the world now,' says the insider. 'She has two children, she's working to be a leader in her Scientology church, she's starting a promising music career, and now she's madly in love. It's like she's never been happier.'"

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Sweden

Grady Ward posted details on the decision that changes to the Swedish copyright law were found unconstitutional.

"Assistant Under Secretary Per Hall's draft for an amendment to the Swedish Copyright law in order to seal OT II, III, NOTs and other parts of the Scieno Holy Drivel has been rejected 100% as *unconstitutional* by the Swedish Supreme Court. As a consequence the Swedish Copyright law, which is Common law, includes an article 26b saying, that the Offentlighetsprincip isn't restricted by copyright.

"The Department of Justice doesn't dare to propose a real amendment of the Swedish Constitution. It's too risky politically. Instead Mr. Hall tells Svenska Dagbladet, a Stockholm quality newspaper, that he now plans to change another Common law, the Law of Secrecy of Public Common Papers. Mr Hall gives the impression that the offentlighetsprincip is just a big constitutional quirk, easy to by-pass. He says in fact, that he considers it as his duty to find out a new way to circumvent the Offentlighetsprincip.

"At least for the two or three years to come the OTs and the NOTs will remain as Public Common Papers, and copies sold for a fee."

>From Dagens Nyheter:

"The government's bill on curtailed access to public document is not approved by the law council. The proposal that certain documents would be exempted from the Swedish principle of free access to public documents is unconstitutional. Thereby, the problem that the scientologists' 'bible' caused, remains. When the scripture was filed with the parliament some years ago, it became a public document. The scientologists where furious over the fact that their sacred book could be read by anyone. The USA reacted and questioned whether Sweden was adhering to international agreements on copyright.

"In its referral to the law council the government wrote that the USA would call for arbitration against Sweden if the law was not changed so that similar situations can be avoided in the future. The government assesses that such an international dispute can force more extensive limitations than those contained in the referred bill. The ministry of justice is now working on a new bill that, as estimated, could be in force early next year."

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