Philly lawyers suing Danny Masterson don’t want Scientology to have their home addresses

Last year, a group of high-profile attorneys based in Philadelphia who had made names for themselves suing or prosecuting on behalf of people who had been victimized by Catholic priests, massage parlors, and even Bill Cosby set their sights on the Church of Scientology. They filed three big lawsuits, and the second of them was a real doozy: In August they filed a lawsuit on behalf of the four women who had come forward to the Los Angeles Police Department with allegations that they had been violently raped by Scientologist actor Danny Masterson. They’re suing Masterson, Scientology, and Scientology leader David Miscavige for what they claim has been a coordinated campaign of harassment since the women came forward to the LAPD in 2016.

Some eight months later, and after numerous twists and turns in the case, those big-name Philly lawyers have still not been formally admitted to litigate the case in the Los Angeles Superior Court, which would normally be a formality. But Scientology, following its usual scorched-earth legal strategy, has thrown a wrench into the process, objecting to the attorneys being allowed in. (In the meantime, the Philly team is relying on a Burlingame attorney named Bobby Thompson to handle things locally, with additional help from Santa Monica attorney Graham Berry.)

We’ve told you about Scientology’s two attempts to object to the attorneys being admitted to the court of Judge Steven Kleifield. Initially, Scientology claimed that Brian Kent and the other Philly lawyers had not, in their applications, been specific about their other “pro hac vice” appearances in California and elsewhere.

At a hearing on March 11, Judge Kleifield remarked that it was unusual to see an objection to such a common matter, but in an abundance of caution he asked Kent’s team to submit more information about their uses of pro hac vice in the past, and they did. Scientology then objected again, this time with nitpicky complaints that Kent, for example, had not included his home address in his application.

Now, Kent and his colleagues have answered that objection, and you will probably not be surprised to learn that the attorneys would rather not put their home addresses on documents that will go into the hands of legal mercenaries working for the Church of Scientology…

Applicants respectfully request that they be permitted to submit their home addresses to the Court for in camera review. Given the allegations against Defendants, the Applicants understandably did not want Defendants to have their home addresses, but will provide them to the Court.

We have a few thoughts about this. First, based on how Judge Kleifield reacted the last time, when this is heard again (scheduled now for July 8), we figure he’ll accept the attorneys submitting their addresses to him privately and then admit them to the court, which he already indicated was usually a formality.

Second, we think this is pretty good legal theater and a nice jab by the Kent team to suggest that the Defendants (Masterson and Miscavige) given the allegations (rape and the cover up) should not be trusted with their home addresses.

And while we think that was an effective way to handle the situation and the attorneys are certainly correct to be concerned about their private information with this group, here’s our third thought:

It’s been eight months since this lawsuit was filed. In that time, Scientology has gathered…

— The home addresses of Brian Kent, Marci Hamilton and the rest of the team.

— Dossiers with every court case they have ever been a part of and everything they have ever written going back to their college days.

— Addresses and contact information for all of their colleagues and close family members, again going back to their college years.

— As much financial information about the properties they own and any lawsuits or other public transactions they have been involved with.

How do we know that Scientology has produced these massive collections of information about Brian Kent and his colleagues and their loved ones and their coworkers, past and present?

Oh, we know. Believe us, we know.

 
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What’s going on with Tom Cummins?

Thanks to a tipster, we’ve been keeping an eye on Scientology super-donor Tom Cummins, a Florida electricity deregulation huckster who has given Scientology at least $32.5 million.

 
On or around March 20, when the pandemic had become serious enough that things were shutting down pretty quickly here in the US, Cummins made a desperate attempt to travel to what was then the hottest COVID-19 hot spot on the planet, northern Italy.

We know this because he documented it himself in a series of videos he posted on social media, saying that he had to get to Italy for business reasons, and that he was willing to hire whatever planes and automobiles he needed to get through a world that was rapidly shutting down borders.

 
After taking a private jet into France, he found a driver who would take him to the Italian border, and then was surprised and relieved when they were able to drive right through.

 
As far as we could tell, the trip had nothing to do with Scientology, so we didn’t say anything about it at the time. But since then, there hasn’t been a peep out of Cummins.

Hey, Tom. You OK?

 
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Source Code

“Here we have this fellow now and he recognizes this principle and he’s on the destroy end of the curve, you see. He recognizes that a nothingness should exist where that body is. But he doesn’t know why a nothingness should exist — he doesn’t know anything about communication or duplication — he just knows that the best thing to have where that body is, is nothingness. So he goes and blows his brains out. And if the society insists he has too many responsibilities to go blow his brains out, why, then subterfugenously he lowers himself under the wheels of a taxi cab or steps on a third rail or lands himself, and some people haven’t quite nerve enough to make the good clean job of it, so they keep making themselves sick. And that’s psychosomatic illness. That’s all there is to psychosomatic illness, it’s a covert effort on the part of the thetan to make nothing where the body is. But it is an effort which is balked by the society to such a degree that he knows he can’t quite get away with it. So he still goes on with this faint impulse which is just make the body sick, don’t reduce it to zero.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 23, 1954

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“1976. I’m in Scientology. My great aunt dies. I am at the funeral and no one is in the chapel yet. I walk up to the casket and say ‘Get a Scientology body.’ Guess what I discover this morning? She did. She’s been hanging around for quite some time. We now agree she’s done with influencing my life and on to her own future.”

 
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Random Howdy

“What got me here was a lifelong interest in the weird and macabre, combined with a sister who joined the cult in 1980. In 2008 I heard about a video on YouTube that featured Tom Cruise taking about Scientology. I started following the comments by the anons and Scilons, and I realized I really didn’t know as much about Scientology as I thought I did, so I got busy.”

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

Criminal prosecutions:
— Jay Spina: Sentencing was set for April 3 in White Plains
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members: Trial set for October 7 in Los Angeles

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Waiting for an appellate decision from the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for June 17
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: May 1 (Masterson new demurrer due), July 8 (plaintiff attorneys pro hac vice), August 31-Sept 1 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe’s attorneys have asked for discovery, depositions (Warren McShane, Lynn Farny), amended complaint filed
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed.

 
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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] Brad Pitt’s Scientology adventure: The sauna, the auditing, the… lizard?
[TWO years ago] It’s only April, but we already have a leading contender for Scientology mother of the year!
[THREE years ago] Scientology loves to gladhand Florida politicians, even though it usually has little effect
[FOUR years ago] Why Scientology’s inability to pay its tax bill in Montreal is not a sign that it’s struggling
[FIVE years ago] See ‘Going Clear’ star Hana Whitfield describe L. Ron Hubbard in a leaked 1997 interview
[SIX years ago] NARCONON EXPOSED: Scientology’s flagship drug rehab facility is struggling, records show
[NINE years ago] Michael Fairman, Familiar TV and Film Actor, Makes Public His Expulsion from Scientology

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 23, 2020 at 07:00

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