In a unanimous decision, a three-justice panel of the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeals has struck down a $1 million judgment Scientology had won against attorney Ken Dandar.
“What a great day! I am thankful for all who kept me in their prayers and supported me. The court agreed with us 100 percent,” Dandar tells us.
The state appeals court found that a court in Pinellas County that had assigned that judgment against Dandar didn’t have the authority to do so. Scientology had asked for the judgment based on litigation that was concluded long ago — the civil lawsuit filed by the family of Lisa McPherson against the Church of Scientology, which Dandar helped settle in 2004. Scientology claimed that in that settlement, Dandar had promised never again to represent a client against the church.
But later, Dandar represented a woman named Victoria Britton, who was suing the church over the death of her son, Kyle Brennan. Scientology went back into court on the McPherson matter, saying that Dandar was in violation of the 2004 settlement for representing a new case against the church, and the court agreed, saddling Dandar with the huge judgment.
But now the state court of appeals says the Pinellas court should not have awarded damages in litigation that “previously dismissed its cause of action with prejudice.” So it has wiped out the judgment and has ordered the Pinellas court to dismiss the matter.
It’s a total victory for Dandar and it’s unanimous. Wow.
We’re still examining the document, and we’re looking forward to your thoughts on it…
Dandar vs. Scientology: Appeal Order
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 2, 2016 at 12:00
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GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
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