Yesterday morning, we revealed the surprising reason behind Danny Masterson’s latest attempt to delay his October 11 criminal rape trial: One of his attorneys, Shawn Holley, says she’s too busy handling Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer’s arbitration in Washington DC and needs the Masterson trial set back to late January.
Late yesterday, one of Masterson’s accusers, citing Holley’s letter to Judge Charlaine Olmedo, put out a rare public statement, criticizing the idea that Bauer’s arbitration over a two-year suspension would be more important than a rape trial that could put Masterson in prison for life.
“My life has been tortured for so many years as a result of what happened to me,” the accuser known as Jane Doe 1 said in her statement. “Finally, the day of justice was coming and now I see there is another excuse to delay justice, which will only cause greater damage to me and the other victims. I hope the Court sees that the matters in this trial, the rights of the victims, and the need for finality of this important matter, trump a scheduling conflict related to baseball.”
The statement was part of a letter released last night by Jane Doe 1’s “Marsy’s Law” attorneys, Nina Hawkinson and Dominick Cognata, who went into detail about how the California law protects victims from further harm.
“Ms. Holley’s recent request, for a trial continuance in the People v. Masterson matter, puts our client, and her family, at great risk of harm, including intimidation, harassment and abuse,” the two attorneys write. “The ‘Church of Scientology’ is well known for stalking and harassing individuals it identifies as suppressive persons, which is anyone acting against the ‘Church’ or any ‘parishioner’ of the ‘Church.’ Thus, it is reasonable to assert that Jane Doe 1 is at great risk of further harm, should this matter be delayed, by being known to the ‘Church’ and classified as a suppressive person, as a victim witness set to testify against a well-known member of the Church. As a Marsy’s Law victim, our client has a right to be free from this harm, which can only be accomplished by no further delay and proceeding to trial.”
In a preliminary hearing last year, Jane Doe 1 testified that she was violently raped by Masterson at his Hollywood Hills home in the early hours of April 25, 2003. A Scientologist at the time, she first reported the incident to the church, and then overcame Scientology’s objections to report the incident to the LAPD in 2004. She alleges that Scientology led a concerted effort to overwhelm the LAPD investigation by having members submit affidavits calling her a liar, and the investigation was shut down.
The LAPD reopened the investigation into Masterson when Jane Doe 1 and two additional women came forward in 2016 after the women had become aware of each other and their allegations. In 2020 the LA District Attorney’s office charged Masterson with three counts of forcible rape after considering the claims of five separate women. If he’s convicted of all three counts, he’s facing 45 years to life in prison. (And in a separate case, the accusers are suing Masterson and Scientology for what they say has been a campaign of harassment since they came forward. That case is currently being petitioned to the US Supreme Court by Scientology, which wants to keep it behind closed doors in its own brand of “religious arbitration.”)
Since he was charged, Masterson has filed numerous motions and petitions and appeals in order to dismiss or delay the case. But since Judge Olmedo received the case, she’s tried to keep it on a strict schedule.
She did move trial date back from August 29 to October 11 when Masterson fired his first two defense attorneys, Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum, but Judge Olmedo got assurances from his current attorneys, Philip Cohen and Shawn Holley, that they would be prepared to take the case all the way through trial.
Now, Holley says she is too busy handling the arbitration of Bauer, which began in May 23, eight days before Masterson fired Mesereau.
Bauer’s 324-game suspension, announced in April, is the longest since Major League Baseball adopted its new domestic violence policy in 2015. The LA District Attorney’s Office declined to press criminal charges against Baeur last year based on the allegations of a San Diego woman who claimed that the pitcher had sexually assaulted her. But the MLB can suspend a player even if that player isn’t charged criminally, and the league talked to at least two additional women, both in Ohio, who also made allegations against Baeur. The pitcher appealed the suspension, resulting in the arbitration.
In the letter they released yesterday, Jane Doe 1’s attorneys pointed out something we did as well in our story yesterday: Holley is trying to make it sound like she only became Masterson’s attorney on May 31 when he fired Mesereau and eight days after the Bauer arbitration began. But the record shows that Holley had been fully involved in Masterson’s defense for months by then.
“In reviewing Ms. Holley’s declaration to the Court, under penalty of perjury she states that she and Mr. Cohen only substituted in as trial counsel for the Defendant, in the People v. Masterson matter, on May 31, 2022; however, while accurate, this is disingenuous,” they write. “Back in November 2021, both Ms. Holley and Mr. Cohen were seen with Defendant’s then counsel, Thomas Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum at the Defendant’s 995 hearing. During that hearing, Mesereau asked the court for a hearing continuance because, he said, they would be adding new members to their defense team. Then, in February 2022 Ms. Holley issued subpoenas on behalf of the Defendant on various witnesses. Thus, Ms. Holley and Mr. Cohen have been working on Defendant’s defense in this matter since, at least, November 2021, making her declaration true, but misleading.”
Holley, in the declaration and letter we made public yesterday, is asking Judge Olmedo to push back Masterson’s trial even though she admitted that new dates in the Bauer arbitration had not been set, and also that the matter is being handled virtually and Holley would not necessarily need to travel to DC for it.
“The estimated date for completion of the arbitration has been extended, though new dates have not yet been agreed upon by the arbitrator or the parties,” she wrote.
Holley’s request to delay the Masterson trial to late January will be considered at the next pretrial conference, scheduled for August 17.
Here’s the full letter released last night by Jane Doe 1’s attorneys.
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Today’s Scientology happy news. Yes, an excerpt from an actual press release put out by the church this week.
August 12th 2022 will mark 55 years since Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard established, starting in the Spanish Canary Islands as a research project into the spiritual nature of humankind, what has become the religious order of the religion professed by Scientologists.
Therefore, such a historic date for Scientology, included in a calendar of religious festivities, researched and produced by Spain’s Prime Minister’s office, public Foundation Pluralism and Coexistence, becomes a commemoration in itself.
“We work for a society that is informed, respectful of the diversity of beliefs and committed o the processes of improving coexistence, placing value on the road travelled to the current framework of rights and freedoms, which includes religious freedom, and promoting a better knowledge of the diversity of beliefs and religious practices.” says the website of the state foundation.
The calendar, which this year includes the Scientology festivities in their paper edition, briefly describes it as the “Anniversary of the Scientology fraternity called the ‘Sea Organisation’. On August 12th, 1967, on one of Ron Hubbard’s sojourns in the Canary Islands, the religious order of Scientology (called the “Sea Organisation”) was formed.” And continues saying that “This religious order is dedicated to safeguarding the purity of Scientology’s doctrinal and administrative teachings. Its members take eternal vows and devote themselves exclusively to the religion.”
Frank Flinn, PhD and Adjunct Professor in Religious Studies from the Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri, in a research paper called “The Sea Organization and its Role within the Church of Scientology”, said:
“Members of the Sea Organization commit themselves wholeheartedly and eternally to fulfill the Creed of Scientology: to uphold the rights of humans, including their spiritual right to sanity and to affirm the basic goodness of humankind and the overarching goal of survival which is closely connected with the salvation of the spirit.”
Positions in the Sea Organization (over 7000 worldwide) are analogous to that of members of religious orders in other religions. “They are at the forefront of spearheading the Church’s massive social mission” says Arjona, “including some the world’s largest nongovernmental drug prevention and human rights education campaigns, and many another global program that touches the lives of millions”. Seems obvious then that Sea Organization members are acutely aware of the world in which they live, and their service, according to the church and parishioners, is fully dedicated to helping humankind. “They do not live cloistered lives”, says Arjona (a member of the Sea Org himself), “but are very much a part of this challenging society that needs so many vocations”.
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Now available: Bonus for our supporters
Episode 6 of the Underground Bunker podcast has been sent out to paid subscribers, and it’s a conversation with Pete Griffiths about how he managed to run a Scientology mission after being declared SP. Meanwhile, we’ve made episodes 1 through 5 available to everyone, with Sunny Pereira dishing secrets of Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Centre, Bruce Hines on the crazy life in the Sea Org, Jeffrey Augustine on recent Scientology court cases, Claire Headley exposing Tom Cruise, and Marc Headley on what it must be like for David Miscavige living in Clearwater, Florida. Go here to get the episodes!
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“The admiral’s office thinks very poorly of a person who gives any understanding to a crew about what they’re about, and who thinks very poorly of a ship that has fairly good morale. To have good morale is a condemnation. Got this? Now, that expediency goes up to a final peak where, man’s walking down the street, he’s picked up, he’s taken down to a spaceship, he’s laid in a bunk, he’s strapped down, given an injection. A speaker-phone starts going yap-yap-yap at him, indoctrinates him as a member of the crew, wipes out all former memory, works him over in general and he’s now part of the navy. Get the idea? It goes down to total no-determinism. Now, you just think I’m showing you a few of my engrams. They’re not my engrams; they’re the engrams of this race, and of all races in all times.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 5, 1958
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“LONG VOYAGES: WE will sail on the 12th on a 450 mile voyage. The radio direction finder must be checked for operation and accuracy. Freight etc must be all in hand in this country. Various ports need notifying of new schedule. MEA will have to be alerted. Should remaining TRCs be brought aboard? The awnings come down. Lot of work to do on all this. The Capt FSO should schedule such cycles and get them done on a realistic basis so its not a last minue flat out. A nice long sea voyage followed by others will get your sea legs working. It’s a calm part of the year.” — The Commodore August 5, 1971
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“Trey Lotz promoted and supported Justin Craig in his claim to be the reincarnation of L. Ronald Hubbard. He even posted a win accompanied by a picture of himself and his wife with Craig, a/k/a Lafayette, to be seen by all in the independent field. Justin Craig is the biggest deceiver; not only does he allege he is Hubbard reincarnated but he plagiarized LRH’s processes and altered them for his convenience. Trey Lotz promoted and supported those squirrel processes, and in return Craig went onto expelling Trey from his squirrel group and declared that Scientology is dead! This created disturbance and disrepute in the independent Scientology field.”
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1998: Zenon Panoussis reported on developments in his case. “First came the TRO against me, stating among other things that OTs and NOTs in my possession were to be taken into custody pending the court’s final decision in the copyright infringement issue. Then the bailiff (with McShane and Hart & Co leading the crusade) raided me and fetched practically nil. Then I handed in the OTs and NOTs to the parliament. Then the CoS said ‘those NOTs at the parliament are really in Zenon Panoussis’ possession and we want them confiscated by the bailiff as well’. Or, in other words, ‘we want the bailiff to raid the parliament, and we want that done without even having sued the parliament’ Somehow this got too heavy even for the stomach of the bailiff. The motion was denied. And the CoS appealed. The primary court of Stockholm decided the case yesterday. Scientology lost. Of course, anything else would have been a scandal. The CoS has to pay my legal costs, SEK 9,250 (ca USD 1,150).”
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“One man’s moonbat is another man’s freedom fighter. Winning is the only thing that truly matters.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Trial scheduled for October 11, pretrial conference August 17.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Last hearing was on January 18, referred to grand jury. Additional charges also referred to grand jury after January 5 assault while in jail.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Readiness hearing scheduled for August 22 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Next pretrial conference set for September 19.
— Yanti Mike Greene, Scientology private eye accused of contempt of court: Found guilty of criminal and civil contempt.
Civil litigation:
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Complaint filed April 28 in Tampa federal court, Scientology moving to compel arbitration. Plaintiffs filing amended complaint on August 2.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Selection of arbitrators underway. Next court hearing: February 2, 2023.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Appellate court removes requirement of arbitration on January 19, case remanded back to Superior Court. Stay in place, next status hearing October 25. Scientology petitioning US Supreme Court over appellate ruling.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Third amended complaint filed, trial set for December 6.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: New trial ordered after appeals court overturned prior ruling.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Lawsuit filed by the FTC and state of Georgia in August, now in discovery phase.
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links, including our four days in Los Angeles covering the preliminary hearing and its ruling, which has Danny facing trial and the potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison.
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.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] John Travolta sells Clearwater house: What are the Scientology ramifications?
[TWO years ago] As Los Angeles schools prepare to reopen, Scientology keeps trying to worm its way in
[THREE years ago] Scientology is the coolest religion on earth, video proves
[FOUR years ago] California is on fire, and Scientology naturally sees a golden recruiting opportunity
[FIVE years ago] An unusual Scientology advertisement leads to new intel on secretive ‘Int Base’
[SIX years ago] Florida man sues medical sleep testing company after its dapper CEO forced Scientology on him
[SEVEN years ago] What really happens at a Scientology rehab? Nick Lister dishes on the Narconon experience
[EIGHT years ago] Mareka Brousseau compares growing up in Scientology to The Hunger Games
[NINE years ago] Will Shelly Miscavige Be Trotted Out at the Celebrity Centre Gala As a PR Stunt?
[TEN years ago] Movie Night at Scientology’s New York ‘Org’: The Village Voice Gets Proselytized!
[ELEVEN years ago] The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology
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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 2,747 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,252 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,802 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,792 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,683 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,988 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,858 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,632 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,963 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,436 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,752 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,318 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,237 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,405 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,985 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,247 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,283 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,998 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,523 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 878 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,053 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,604 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,753 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,073 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,928 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,047 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,403 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,706 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,812 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,210 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,086 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,669 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,164 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,418 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,527 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 5, 2022 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
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, 1995-2021 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2021), 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, 15 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
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
