VALERIE HANEY PETITION DENIED: She’ll have to go through Scientology ‘arbitration’ to appeal

 
Valerie Haney’s long-shot petition for a writ of mandate has been turned down by California’s 2nd Appellate District, and so now if she still wants to appeal the lower court ruling that derailed her lawsuit, she’ll actually have to go through with Scientology’s “religious arbitration” and then appeal the result.

In January, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Burdge Jr found for Scientology and iced the lawsuit brought by Valerie, who today works as Leah Remini’s assistant but at one time was Scientology leader David Miscavige’s personal steward and worked in his private quarters. Valerie alleged in her lawsuit that she became a prisoner at the secretive Gold Base because of what she knew about Miscavige, and she only got away from the base by hiding in the trunk of a car. For coming forward on Leah’s A&E series, Valerie was subjected to a fierce and frightening harassment campaign, which was documented by Leah’s show. But even though she was no longer an employee of the church, Valerie was still bound by the contract she had signed, Judge Burdge ruled, denying her right to a trial. She would have to submit her complaints of kidnapping and stalking not to a court of law, but to Scientology’s own brand of arbitration, which features a panel of arbitrators who must all be members of the church in good standing.

It was a shocking result and the second time in recent years that Scientology was successful at short-circuiting a lawsuit by forcing it into what it calls arbitration. Before Valerie, Luis and Rocio Garcia’s lawsuit was forced into religious arbitration by Tampa federal Judge James Whittemore. In that case, the Garcias went through the Scientology procedure, the first the church had ever performed in its 70-year history. The Garcias complained to Whittemore that the process was a joke, but Whittemore upheld the result (the arbitrators offered to give the Garcias back about $18,000 of the hundreds of thousands they were asking for).

Only after going through that process could the Garcias then appeal Whittemore’s decision. Two years later, they’re still waiting for a result from the Eleventh Circuit.

After Judge Burdge derailed her lawsuit in January, Valerie said publicly that she had no intention of subjecting herself to the same abuser that had stalked and libeled her already. And so rather than go through the arbitration, she petitioned the 2nd Appellate District, hoping that it would grant her a writ of mandate and then hear her appeal.

But the appellate court turned her down…

The court has read and considered the petition for writ of mandate filed September 10, 2020, the preliminary opposition filed September 21, 2020, the reply filed October 1, 2020, and the amicus curiae briefs filed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the National Crime Bar Victim Association. The petition is denied as untimely. (Reynolds v. Los Angeles County Superior Court (1883) 64 Cal. 372, 373; Volkswagen of America, Inc. v. Superior Court (2001) 94 Cal.App.4th 695, 701; see also United Firefighters of Los Angeles v. City of Los Angeles (1991) 231 Cal.App.3d 1576, 1582 [“‘A party does not waive his right to attack the order [compelling arbitration] by proceeding to arbitration; the order is reviewable on appeal from a judgment confirming the award'”].)

Translation: The court disagrees that extraordinary conditions exist, even though Valerie is alleging kidnapping and stalking, and she can appeal after she’s gone through the arbitration process.

Which, we’ll say again, she has said she has no intention of participating in.

The court made its decision yesterday, and it became public on the court’s website earlier today. As soon as we noticed it, we texted Valerie that we were sorry to hear the result.

She was stunned. Once again, she heard news in her own lawsuit from us, rather than from her own attorneys.

“I will never go into the abusive cult of Scientology to get further mental damage and abuse by submitting to their deranged ideology,” Valerie tells us. “The only way I would agree to a Scientology ‘arbitration’ would be if I was allowed to video the entire thing and my lawyers would be present during the entire session.”

During the Garcia arbitration, Scientology denied them the right to having an attorney present, and they also refused to make a recording or transcript of the session that the Garcias could take back to Whittemore’s court.

“Another travesty of injustice,” says Mike Rinder. “Scientology has subverted the system once again to convince the courts to effectively sanction their abusive practices. It’s sickening.”

 
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In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.

 
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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.

 
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Source Code

“I heard about something the other day that made me feel rather bad. I dropped the I-76 or the Imperial Japanese Navy Trans-Pacific Submarine down into the mouth of the Columbia River, dead duck. And it went down with a resounding furor. And that was that. I never thought about it again particularly except to get mad at all the admirals I had to make reports to because of this thing, see? This was one out of 79 separate actions that I had to do with….My dad suddenly sprung on me the fact that my submarine had been causing a tremendous amount of difficulty in the mouth of the Columbia River….It’s got jagged steel sticking out at all ends and angles, and it’s a big submarine! …And the fishermen coming in there and fishing are dragging their nets around in that area, and it’s just tearing their nets to ribbons — they’ve even hired a civilian contractor to try to blow the thing up and get it the devil out of there — and has evidently been raising bob with postwar fishing here for more years than I’d care to count….I was asking my father for the address of the fishermen’s association up there to write them a letter of apology.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 23, 1956

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“Trump is fighting against the 12 guys that Ron decribed in Ron’s Journal 67. Ron had well spotted these SPs, and as you can see on the planet in the present they are still at work to crash everybody with the Covid, and establishing a worldwide government!”

 
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Past is Prologue
2005: New York Daily News: “Four years ago, Keith Henson, an electrical engineer, was convicted in Riverside County Superior Court of harassing members of the church. Prosecutors pointed to his picketing a Scientology film studio, and a Web chat in which he talked about aiming a ‘Cruise’ missile at the studio. Henson insists he was joking. But after being sentenced to a year in Riverside County’s jail, he says he wasn’t laughing when a law enforcement officer ‘said I was not likely to come out of jail alive.’ Henson fled to Canada. Last April, he tells us, a private eye working for the church tracked him down in Brantford, Ontario, and nearly plowed him down in an alley — just as he claims other private eyes have tried to run him off the road. Denied asylum in Canada, he’s now on the run. This week, he blew through New York. Scientology spokesman Ed Parkin calls Henson’s claims ‘absurd,’ adding, ‘he uses the media to create controversy and deflect attention from his own crimes.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“When they landed on the Moon, the adults in my neighborhood were crying. I couldn’t understand it at the time.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.

Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.

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

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] Scientologist defendants plead not guilty as Medi-Cal fraud trial scheduled for Nov 21
[TWO years ago] In 1949, psychiatrists wouldn’t touch Dianetics — so L. Ron Hubbard invented one who would
[THREE years ago] Despite Scientology’s best efforts, a Bunker reader attended Saturday’s grand opening
[FOUR years ago] Vote for Xenu! Scientologists are looking to L. Ron Hubbard for advice on the coming election
[FIVE years ago] The technology of ‘ruining’ people: Jefferson Hawkins on Scientology’s opening pitch
[SIX years ago] L. Ron Hubbard explains to a friend the real reason he wrote ‘Dianetics’
[SEVEN years ago] LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES: Summary Judgment Hearing in DeCrescenzo Forced-Abortion Lawsuit
[EIGHT years ago] British Newspaper The Sun Sneaks Reporter into Scientology Annual Gala!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Targeted South Park’s Parker and Stone in Investigation

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 23, 2020 at 14:00

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