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David Miscavige in Miami sex abuse lawsuit: Catch me if you can, suckers

[David Miscavige]

The national legal team suing Scientology in three important lawsuits has asked a Miami court for more time — up to May 15, if necessary — because they still haven’t located David Miscavige to serve notice to the Scientology leader in a suit alleging a cover-up of child sexual abuse. The request was granted by Circuit Court Judge Veronica Diaz yesterday.

The legal team filed two big cases against Scientology and Miscavige in Los Angeles last summer, and in those cases the attorneys for Miscavige and the church filed complaints that the service of court papers was “fraudulent.” The church even asked for sanctions, and hearings on those motions will be heard in February and March. Those two cases involve Miscavige’s former steward, Valerie Haney, and another lawsuit filed by four women who say they were harassed after coming forward with rape allegations against Scientologist actor Danny Masterson.

In Miami, meanwhile, the legal team filed a third lawsuit on behalf of a woman using the name Jane Doe who says that as a child as young as 11, she was sexually abused while she was working for the church in places like Florida and Venezuela.

That lawsuit was filed on September 18, and Jane Doe’s attorneys hired process servers to notify the defendants, who include not only Miscavige but also the Church of Scientology International, the Religious Technology Center (the entity that nominally controls the Scientology movement), Scientology’s Flag Service Organization (which runs Scientology’s ‘spiritual mecca,’ the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida), and Clearwater Academy, a school for Scientologist children.

Those defendants have responded by filing motions with the court saying that since the allegations in the lawsuit all took place in Clearwater and Venezuela, it was a mistake to file the case in Miami, where the court has no jurisdiction. No hearings have been scheduled yet to consider those motions, and the plaintiff’s attorneys have not yet responded.

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But they did make a new filing in the case, saying that although service was accomplished to the rest of the defendants, they haven’t found Miscavige.

This was after the Miami attorneys hired the same Los Angeles process server company that was used in the L.A. lawsuits, a firm with the clever name “Are You Being Served?”

As we learned earlier, Scientology is objecting to the fact that the process server dropped off documents for Miscavige with a receptionist at a Scientology headquarters building at 6331 Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Guaranty Building (HGB). In their objection, Scientology has pointed out that the actual address for RTC, where Miscavige is chairman, is at 1710 Ivar Avenue — which we pointed out was actually just a different door in the same building.

In the Miami document, Jane Doe’s attorneys say that they “diligently attempted to effectuate service” on Miscavige, but then they heard from the church leader’s attorneys.

“On November 18, 2019, counsel for Mr. Miscavige contested the propriety of the Affidavit of Service via letter to the undersigned. To avoid any question of whether service is proper, Plaintiff retained the services of a new process company in California, who again unsuccessfully attempted service upon Mr. Miscavige at an alternate known business address on December 5, 2019.”

According to an attachment, after the first process server was unable to serve Miscavige at the HGB, they tried at the address for the Religious Technology Center’s agent, attorney Sherman Lenske, but Miscavige, RTC’s chairman, wasn’t there.

“Plaintiff has otherwise been unable to locate Mr. Miscavige or obtain a residential address for him, despite multiple attempts,” the document says.

If Miscavige manages to keep up his game of keep-away, after more attempts to locate him, Jane Does’ attorneys can serve him through publication, as they indicate in the filing.

For her sake, we hope they’re eventually successful.

 
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Source Code

“Take any given action. Let’s take kissing a girl, just take that as an action. I don’t know whether you’re familiar with this action or not, but — kissing a girl. All right. Now, let’s take a look at the various societies and their various regards of it. And you find out it’d be very interesting. The Marriage Counselors Society of Los Angeles. Of course, this is a very laudable action and therefore you are a very evil man if you don’t kiss a girl. If you’re not the type of man who kisses girls, then you’re an evil man. That’s according to the mores of the marriage counselors. Because of course the more girls that get kissed, the more business they have. Elementary. Elementary. All right. Now, let’s take the Sex Is Evil Society of New York City. The Sex Is Evil Society. All right. Every time you kiss a girl, you see, you are evil. So you’re an evil man because you kiss a girl. Now, you go down to Hollywood, for instance, and kiss a girl, they think you’re crazy. I didn’t mean it as a crack, and so forth. I didn’t mean it as a crack, a derogatory. In the first place, it couldn’t be derogatory because you can always explain cracks about Hollywood on the same basis, ‘It isn’t critical — it isn’t a critical thought because it’s true!’ You hear that?” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 16, 1962

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“I doubt LRH will be back. Probably doing exactly the same elsewhere. You don’t just sow one seed and hope it will grow. You gotta sow many. That’s what the Class XIIs were for, to ensure the technology is preserved and used. Even now many of them have strayed off course in one way or another. Gone off source, beholden to Miscaviage, caved in, gone 1st dynamic or hell bent on revenge. They were meant to continue the upward thrust. All I can do is try to ensure that a pocket of the tech does not get diluted or squirreled.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Steve Allen and Johnny Carson hated Scientology.”

 
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Start making your plans…

 
Head over to the convention website and meet us in St. Louis!

 
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

[Jenna Elfman, Giovanni Ribisi, and Greta Van Susteren]

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Another elderly victim gets soaked by Scientology, is talking to law enforcement
[TWO years ago] Leah Remini and Mike Rinder cite Scientology interrogations as they support Paul Haggis
[THREE years ago] What Scientology is telling its members: Things have never been better!
[FOUR years ago] Atack: What I meant when I said Scientologists suffer from arrogance when they leave
[SIX years ago] Judge Waldrip grants Monique Rathbun’s discovery request, snubbing Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] TONIGHT: Nancy Many’s Story of Scientology Spying and Interrogation on ID at 10 PM
[EIGHT years ago] Did You See a Scientology Ad This Weekend?
[ELEVEN years ago] Wise Beard Man to Anonymous: Don’t be a Dope

 
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder

Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,819 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,323 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,843 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 863 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 754 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,061 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,929 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,703 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,477 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,823 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,389 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,308 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,476 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,057 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,318 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,356 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,069 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,594 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,121 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,684 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,824 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,144 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,000 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,119 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,474 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,777 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,883 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,285 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,157 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,740 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,235 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,489 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,598 days.

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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 16, 2020 at 15:00

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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…

Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele

 

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