Court showdown over Scientology leader David Miscavige evading service coming next week

On Friday, we brought you up to date on Scientology leader David Miscavige’s attempts to keep himself out of Leah Remini’s lawsuit.

Once again, Dave is dodging process servers while he has his tetchy attorney Jeffrey Riffer complaining that Leah isn’t looking in the right places.

We explained that the few public records available do suggest that Leah is looking in the right place by having her process servers search for Dave at the Hollywood Guaranty Building (6331 Hollywood Boulevard and 1710 Ivar Avenue), and that Riffer is just playing games.

We also told you that we’re looking forward to a hearing on February 14, when Judge Randolph Hammock will have a chance to bring some common sense to this bizarre situation.

However, we wanted to point out that we don’t have to wait that long to see how Dave’s latest attempts at evasion play out in court.

Next Thursday, on February 8, the question of whether Dave has been properly served will be coming up in Jane Doe 1’s forced marriage lawsuit against Miscavige, Scientology, and Sea Org recruiter Gavin Potter.

In fact, Jane Doe 1 and Leah are sharing some of the same attorneys, and have also been sharing some of the same process servers. So the hearing on February 8, before Judge Robert Broadbelt III, could be an interesting preview to what happens a week later in Leah’s case.

Once again, the attorneys trying to serve Miscavige explain in a document they filed this week that they have gone well above the minimum state requirements for “substitute service,” but that it’s plain that Miscavige is purposely trying to evade being found, and is gaming the system.

The multitude of documented service attempts upon Miscavige, and the numerous individuals involved in protecting him from service, leaves zero doubt that Miscavige is not only aware of this lawsuit, but is actively thwarting his legal obligation to play a role in it. The service-dodging of Miscavige and his agents in this matter is a continuation of his longstanding practice of electing procedural gamesmanship over participation in litigation.

The attorneys also point to the Baxter labor trafficking case in Florida which was filed by Gawain and Laura Baxter as well as Valeska Paris, who were successful proving that they had done enough to serve Miscavige by substitute service.

Jane Doe’s attorneys point out that they have done the same things Valeska’s legal team did in that case…

Indeed, efforts very similar to those made by Jane Doe in this case were deemed proper substitute service against Miscavige himself in Baxter v. Miscavige….The court in that case noted that the plaintiffs showed sufficient due diligence to effectuate substitute service where their efforts included: hiring a private investigation firm, searching public and court records, contacting Miscavige’s counsel, and making over twenty attempts to serve Miscavige over the course of several months (all efforts that Jane Doe has made in this case).

Jane Doe’s legal team attach hundreds of pages of exhibits which refer to Dave’s speeding tickets in Florida in 1991 and 1995, and to business listings for the Religious Technology Center in order to show that yes, the HGB is the most logical place to serve Dave.

And in those hundreds of pages are lengthy searches on Dave’s connections to various Scientology locations and Scientology employees. And, to our delight, one of those searches even turned up an email address for the diminutive Captain of the Sea Org.

So we dropped him a line, asking him about his apparent decision to move Shelly up to Petrolia.

We’ll let you know if Dave gets back to us.

 
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Technology Cocktail

“Childhood is the most fertile area in which to locate the SP on the case. A child is weak and at the mercy of adults. It is this fact alone that gave all the cures Freud ever stumbled onto. The analyst accidentally located an SP when his work was successful. But then he proceeded to overrun and restimulate the patient without erasing. In other words he would not let the patient have his item. An hour with a meter in the hands of an expert auditor who can assess correctly will produce everything the analyst or Freud ever hoped to achieve and will do it invariably compared to the small results analysts did achieve.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1966

 
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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 as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.

 
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?

[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH

— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see

[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf

— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond

[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman

 
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Source Code

“The entirety of physics and the natural sciences pursues from a degradation of the mind. Awfully broad statement, but a very true one. If every place you’ve ever been is related to where you are, you’ve had it. It says at once you never could have had, and promises that you never can have, another universe — which I think is very cute; it’s a total trap.” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 29, 1957

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“All semblance of anything that could be called ‘Hippiness’ must be eradicated for the next month. Better get started now on haircuts and beard off or trim. Be sure you haven’t only got miniskirts. The PRO mock up for your next month is very proper personal appearance. Clean cloths, clean braid, clean shirts for the officers. Lots of baths. Sleek personal appearance is the watch word for the next month. It fits in with why you are going on this cruise.” — The Commodore, January 29, 1970

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“Dear New Era Scientologists, I am feeling very festive at the start of this 2020. 20-20 is the year everyone’s eyesight opens up! The Commodore’s technical advancements deserve a big party. Better yet, I think we should have a big party every month just to celebrate how great a bunch of people we all are. I could easily organize a big party to mark 2020 as the best ever New Era milestone. New Era individuals could be encouraged to celebrate on an appointed date in all of the principal areas where we reside. How say you?”

 
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Past is Prologue

1996: Controversy this week concerning Tom Marcellus, prominent Scientology member and director of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR). IHR maintains that the Holocaust never happened. Evidence of this link was posted by Tilman Hausherr. Cory Brennan, spokesperson for Scientology, has denied that Tom Marcellus is a Holocaust revisionist. Tilman quotes an IHR web page: “‘From [founder David] McCalden’s departure in 1981 until 1982, Tom Marcellus served as editor. Marcellus started at the bottom at the IHR and worked his way up to become director, a position he assumed in 1981 and holds today.’ I don’t know what ‘today’ is. The HTML document is from 28.10.1995. On the other hand, I have read in the IHR FAQ that Marcellus left the IHR to pursue his scieno plans. The German edition of ‘Freedom’, scientology’s propaganda paper, brings the bizarre theory that Marcellus ‘discovered’ that the IHR was denying the Holocaust and then ousted [co-founder Willis] Carto. They even printed 2,000,000 copies of that lie: ‘On his own initiative Scientologist Tom Marcellus organised a movement against Willis Carto and threw this extremist out of an organisation named Institute for Historical Review, after he had discovered that this institute, that claimed to have been founded to correct historical mistakes, was in fact being used by Carto to propagate the Auschwitz-lie. But Carto is still controlling the Liberty Lobby and The Spotlight.’ We know of course that this is complete bullshit, but why not prove it with Marcellus own words? ‘2.The IHR did not accept or in any way agree with Judge Johnson’s ridiculous 1981 ‘judicial notice’ that Jews were ‘in fact’ exterminated in ‘gas chambers’ at Auschwitz. 3.The IHR has not retreated one inch from its well-known position that there is no credible evidence to support the theory that Germans allegedly used homicidal poison gas chambers to exterminate the Jews of Europe.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“Does anyone else here understand how hard it is to explain to a complete stranger that your relative is a Scientologist?”

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

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing January 29, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, motion to strike/anti-SLAPP motions by Scientology to be heard January 9, 2024.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Discovery phase.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.

 
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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.

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] Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, spiritual father of the Fair Tax bill in Congress
[TWO years ago] He shilled for Scientology’s Covid ‘Stay Well’ program — and now he’s dead of the disease
[THREE years ago] Scientology anti-masker Leigh Dundas absconds to Mexico, Jan 6 video of her turns up
[FOUR years ago] Tom Cruise’s sister Cass the real superhero in the family, now with Scientology SUPER POWER
[FIVE years ago] Accused rapist Danny Masterson hangs out with pal Ashton Kutcher at Scientology wedding
[SIX years ago] Joy Villa’s ex-manager on the ‘pro-life’ Grammys dress: We’re not fooled this time
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology recruits a new ally — a real life ‘Forrest Gump’
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology puts out a new ‘media guide’ that is as honest as you would imagine
[NINE years ago] How Scientologists are dealing with the buzz around Alex Gibney’s ‘Going Clear’
[TEN years ago] The best parts of Steven Mango’s ‘documentary’ on Scientology’s Celebrity Centre
[ELEVEN years ago] Mike Rinder on “The Hole” and How He Escaped Scientology

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 29, 2024 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, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), 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

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone