Recently, one of the OSA bots on Twitter announced that the Judge in the Masterson civil case had “found me to be a liar” in the case “I lost.”
This is their twisted interpretation of the following statement by Judge Steven Kliefield in his ruling that the Masterson plaintiffs must submit to religious “arbitration,” (see Tony Ortega’s site for the full order):
Defendants argue the Court should disregard the March 6, 2020 declaration because Rinder is biased, dedicated to falsely attacking the Church and has no foundation for much of his testimony. CSI and CCI also make specific objections to the declaration.
Plaintiffs were given leave to properly submit the declaration in support of the oppositions to the instant motions. Plaintiffs submitted the same declaration that was submitted on March 6, 2020. Upon review of the declaration Defendants objections to the declaration are sustained. The declaration is filled with unsupported assumptions, foundational deficiencies, irrelevant matters, improper opinions, and arguments.
Of course, the Judge HAD to disregard my declaration. Had he not done so, he could not have issued the order he did to force these victims to submit to more abuse at the hands of scientology.
And scientology had to make a big deal out of objecting to it because it undermined so much of their position.
For the record, below is the entire declaration. Anyone familiar with scientology and its policies knows this declaration does not contain “lies.” In fact the judge doesn’t say it contains lies, that is scientology spin. Actually, it is scientology lying.
The judge claims my declaration contains “unsupported assumptions, foundational deficiencies, irrelevant matters” because he does not understand the first thing about scientology. And he doesn’t want to. It is always the problem with courts — scientology bamboozles them with bullshit, and adds to that unfortunately, a lot of legal precedent that sides with religions (scientology has spent years getting themselves under this cloak of religious protection for their activities). Perhaps my declaration does contain some opinions — but they are not “improper” because they are wrong, but because he doesn’t believe he is required to take any notice of them. I have opinions based on experience and knowledge gained over 40 years. He dismisses it because it doesn’t suit his purpose and it is an easy out. And as for me including arguments — well, it is unfortunate I am not a lawyer and thus I am not permitted to put forth arguments before a court. I would have many more to offer…
The underlying thing he refuses to see is that scientology “arbitration” is no such thing. It is just a name attached to one of their more abusive “religious practices” for the convenience of a contract. There is no such thing as an “arbitration” in scientology “religious scripture” or “religious practice.” Never has been. The term appears in a single paragraph of the scientology Enrollment Agreement — also not a “religious scripture” but a WHOLLY secular document seeking the protection of “wog law” and “wog courts.” Yet as soon as they are IN a “wog court” they claim that “wog courts” cannot “interpret their religious beliefs and practices” meaning their Enrollment contract.
What anyone who knows the reality of scientology understands is this: scientology has hoodwinked another court into believing they are sending people to an “arbitration” when it is no such thing. It’s not even a sophisticated Kangaroo Court. It is simply a scientology ritual used to punish members who step out of line. Courts should understand that scientology claiming a Committee Evidence resembles an “arbitration” would be like buying a story from the Catholic Church that the Spanish Inquisition was “religious education.” And when asked what the religious education was, buying the answer “We discuss matters of religious belief, engage in a Q and A session and work to to ensure orthodoxy with our flock….” while ignoring the testimony of people who escaped Torquemada’s torture chamber as “unsupported assumptions,. foundational difficulties, irrelevant matters, opinions and argument.”
As usual, it is the easy way out for a judge to kick a case to “arbitration” — in this instance he is sending these plaintiff’s to a modern day torture chamber and doesn’t want to hear otherwise.
I have written about this before Concerning Scientology’s “Religious Arbitration”
This is the declaration in full — and I challenge anyone from scientology to disprove a single word of it.
Just A Passerby says
Something I don’t understand. From watching the show (on my fourth time) it is clear, even to the judiciary, that the Abortion (sorry, Church) of Scientology abuses the court system, through it’s methods and motions at every opportunity. In our legal system, you can disqualify things when you can show a pattern.
Why hasn’t someone compiled a list and prepaired counter claims, dis-qualification or what ever the legal deal is. Think about R. I. C. O. use their past, to kick their future ass.
Julianne says
Mike,
If these women/survivors are no longer members of Scientology (as I assume they’ve been declared), can they even be brought in for so-called arbitration?
Mike Rinder says
The judge has ordered that they must, or they can simply drop their civil claims.
Jere Lull says
Giving Kangaroo courts a bad name”… High praise from an Australian, I’d say.
One error I see in your declarations. In my experience Committees of Evidence are to determine the *guilt* of the interested party, not the guilt or innocence, since the Comm Ev wouldn’t be called if the convening authority or someone further up the line didn’t believe that the interested party was guilty. Comms Ev can not determine the interested party not guilty or they are subject to the same penalties for Q&A or aiding and abetting the commission of the high crimes the interested party is guilty of.
It was scary to have to hear the Comm Ev I was assigned to as I didn’t see what the big deal was; it was just a heteero couple acting as couples have since the dawn of time. Both WERE adults, both consented. BUT we HAD to find them guilty or be sent to the RPF, ourselves. My apologies to the doomed couple are long overdue.
Old Surfer Dude says
Poor Kangaroos.
Peggy L says
So, if someone had the … whatevers. to remove the religion (admit they were blackmailed in to giving it that honor) from the cult’s resume. this criminal enterprise could be taken to task for Extortion, Blackmail, Larceny, Slander, etc. ?
Glenn says
The judge should appoint a lawyer or other qualified and independent observer to attend the “religious arbitration” so as to determine if and for sure it is impartial and fair to all parties. Or maybe the judge himself should witness the proceedings.
I chaired a comm ev once and because I had a true sense of justice and right voted to relieve the interested parties of any guilt. Of course we were all “thanked” for our efforts and then the convening authority immediately appointed new members and tried the poor soul again. I am surprised to this day that none of us who found the interested party innocent were not sent to ethics or assigned lower conditions or worse.
Justice in the cult is only what serves it.
Joe Pendleton says
A Scientology Committee of Evidence … Where one is presumed guilty until proven guilty .
Yeah … Great improvement over “wog justice” … LRH says so …
Joe Pendleton says
It is baffling how a person can be ordered to a religious court in a religion THEY HAVE LEFT AND ARE NOW OPPOSED TO, when considering the First Amendment protections which would seem to trump contract law.
I guess this could be appealed on First Amendment grounds, to see how far up the chain it would go.
Loosing my Religion says
It’s totally insane. This sets a precedent for continuing to hide their crap.
So will further abuses, physical violence and even on minors get away with it?
In the end, everything will be an unexistent arbitration that for those who have been on staff know very well that it is just a vagon loaded of bullshit and that none of this exists and certainly not in favor of the person. It is called ‘committee of evidence’ and most of the times it is just paper work because the decision was already taken.
Really insane.
nomnom says
The lie that a “Comm Ev” doesn’t fall under the Scn claim of ‘scripture’ is obvious to anyone.
That the judge deliberately looks away is a crime against truth, honesty and justice.
Mark Fladd says
Very out there stuff. Are there legal standards for Arbitration that the Judge must ensure the church follows regardless of their ‘religious practice’? This goes against the history of law and order, as there is not a single shred of fairness built into Scientology ethical practice. It is always ‘make it go right’ and ‘best choice for the maximum number of Dynamics’, and fairness has absolutely no consideration.
It’s a system that allows for evil to creep in because it allows the’ most good’ to be done, but does not have any absolutes that are strictly banned acts such as the Ten Commandments. It is purely subjective and interprative to the perspective of the ‘Thetan’, which you could really equate to the Alister Crowley’s ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law’. There will be no forgiveness that is going to play a part here, nor any fairness. It is strictly biased towards the Church’s interests. I don’t trust the Committee of Evidence for a second, nor would I expect any fair judgement ever. Not only this fact, but also the fact that allowing a Cult to make legal decisions may end up with some strange results and interesting headlines at the end of the mocked-up ‘Theological Court’ trial. And I thought 2020 was bad…
Skyler1 says
OMG! Would you buy a used cult from this woman?
O/T, I know but I just saw this news item about Krusty Alley and I thought some of you might like to see it.
https://www.thewrap.com/kirstie-alley-trump-twitter-ban-suspension-slavery/
I just took one look at her face and I figured many of you would like to see just what the effects of living the scamology lifestyle might be.
Oh Dear! Oh Dear! Oh Dear!
Geoff Levin says
I’ve was around her for years. She is unhinged. Scientology has only made her worse.
KatherineINCali says
I’m glad she’s being called out and ridiculed for her asinine and offensive statement comparing Trump’s Twitter ban to slavery.
No matter what political side one sits on, only a fool would defend such bullshit… coming from a rich and privileged white woman, no less. The nerve. Patricia Arquette’s response to her was perfect.
Old Surfer Dude says
Three deers? Which way did they go?
Peridot says
Another excellent yet so maddeningly insane report from you, Mike. This seems a frightening precedent. If this is the first time any person (in this case, four individuals) has come forward with a criminal charge—as a former (three of them) member of C of S—against a person purporting to be still a member of C of S.
I have a hard time COMPUTING (to use a Scientology term) how a Scientology religious arbitration is an appropriate means of determining and repairing the consequences of a violent crime. Talk about “out of their depth.” It genuinely makes no sense.
And if that is what the “wog” lawyers who put together the C of S agreement with this clause had in mind, think about it: awful. They basically have set up, in perpetuity, any C of S member can commit crimes, violent or otherwise, against people they meet in an org and fully get away with it. It reminds me of the saying, “a license to print money.” This is like “a license to commit violent crimes (and get away with it).”
And, from a Data Series perspective, this absolutely makes no sense that a C of S declared “Suppressive Person” would be put into this. Mike, isn’t there Policy against any C of S declared SP even being allowed to set foot on Church property? Where is this “arbitration” going to be held?
So bizarre, in front of a judge, that this kangaroo “contract” is being given such astute consideration and weight. I am curious, what about the following guidance (found on an ex-Scientologist website): “A contract must contain consideration: mutual promises to do something or to refrain from something that a party has a legal right to do. Without this mutual promise, there is no valid consideration and the contract is illusory.”
Or the advice from one of this community’s members, Jeffrey Augustine, on his The Scientology Money Project site: “…the Scientologist who wishes to resign from the Church in order to escape its oppression and abuse is free to do so by sending the Church a written statement of resignation that includes a specific withdrawal of one’s consent to be governed by Scientology’s doctrinal rules.” (The case cited is 1989 Guinn v. Church of Christ of Collinsville.)
I suppose the other option (and it is a good one) is to push this situation to play out in The Court of Public Opinion. I do not doubt, it already is. We can help to make sure it continues to do so. For the sake of these women, absolutely.
This surely is, to use a Jeffrey Augustine term: “unconscionable.” If previously you felt you had a ‘lack of mass’ on the term or concept “unconscionable,” now that is handled.
Is this behavior of harassing and terrorizing (sending a PI to murder a pet) supposed to move us toward “a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war”? Let us not stop there: “…where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights”? As to what is taking place against the four women, are these things advancing the ideal “…where Man is free to rise to greater heights”?
#falsehoods #falseprophet #truetonelevel
One of the four women is a Never-In. She must be able to escape the C of S religious arbitration.
Mark Fladd says
So true. I don’t think this is what the founding fathers meant when they said Freedom of Religion. It actually makes more sense that they were establishing freedom FROM religion, thus stuff like this should be tried in a civic court, not a theological mockery of one.
otherles says
One may as well have a claim arbitrated by the Mafia.
Nancy Vasta says
The Mafia has more scruples than Scientology does.
Golden Era Parachute says
Or perhaps the medieval Catholic INQUISITION… because those courts were fair, right?!
Susan Harbison says
I agree that Kliefield didn’t want to rule against the cult. I think he was too intimidated to do it. The order shows that he “misread” the arb provision. Judges frequently misstate the facts causing an unjust result.
There is no way the Bixler plaintiffs should have been compelled to arbitrate claims based on the cult’s post membership actions. Arbitration law is perfectly clear that a contract can only cover claims that arise out of the container contract. See 9 U.S. Code § 2. Plaintiffs’ claims here did not arise out of the container contract.
If someone else tries to sue the cult for its post membership actions, they really must have an arbitration law atty handle the motion to compel. Fair Game will end as soon as the cult realizes they won’t be protected by the arb provision. It only takes one plaintiff with an atty that knows arb law, and (barring corruption) the cult will lose. That success could mean mainstream media attention for the winning atty, so there is a chance someone would do it pro bono.
To be clear, I am only speaking about claims based on post membership activity. The Garcia’s refund claims arise out of their contracts. I believe most, if not all of Haney’s claims arise out of her contracts. Getting around an arb provision in those cases would be more complicated than in the Bixler case.
As for your declaration Mike, the court certainly did NOT say you were lying. It only said the declaration didn’t meet the necessary criteria to be considered as evidence in support of plaintiffs arguments on THIS motion. There is information in there that will be important at a later stage of the case, but it could not be used to oppose the motion to compel.
Plaintiffs’ counsel had notice and an opportunity to cure any deficiencies in the declaration but they did not do so. Sometimes attys file things the court is not supposed to consider, hoping the judge can’t unsee the information and that it might affect his overall view of the case.
I hope the next Fair Game victim gets the help he/she needs.
Justin Suyama says
I’m the only person I know who was found innocent on every single charge in my own requested Comm Ev who walked away with Recommendations that were penalties. How many courts of law in the “wog world” pass a verdict of Innocent but then imposes penalties?
Long story short. I was declared Suppressive at CCI (an org I have NEVER taken service at) by a person I have never met based off of a few KRs written 4 years prior to the Declare date (2014). I then requested, per LRH policy, a Comm Ev to “clear my name” just as the policy says to do. 4 months after my request, I receive the Comm Ev. I was found innocent on every charge.
Yet the Recs decided to impose an amends project, lower conditions, sec check at my own expense in an SO org and it contained the threatening verbage of “must be done within 3 months or we won’t lift the declare”. This is the same F&R’s that said they were wrong to declare me in the first place.
So there is no such thing as Justice in Scientology. It’s 100% a kangaroo court and I have the evidence in my possession. All the issues and communications proving just how kangaroo they are. That’s why when I see these arbitration things, I already know they will mean nothing and always side on the side of the cult.
At the time, it hurt that Scientology would break up my family, make me lose my job, screw my finances, and shove in my face that my production record in that cult was worthless, plus alienating me from life long “friends” but now looking back, I am happy that it went the way it did. Sure I lost up front, but I gained “Total Freedom” from Scientology and that is priceless.
Dead Men Tell No Tales Bill Straass says
I had a Comm-Ev where I was charged with a High Crime. I pleaded Not-Guilty to the charge. The Findings and Recommendations came back and they stated ” The Interested Party pleaded Guilty and the Committee concurs”. They had no evidence of the charge so all they could do is lie and claim that I pleaded Guilty. I requested a Review Comm-Ev and had to keep pushing for it to be held even after I was sent off from the Freewinds to die after getting HIV from a blood transfusion 13 years earlier. Not only did I have to 8C the cycle to get done at all I had to fight to stay alive long enough to get it held. It took over a year to be held. The Review Comm-Ev correctly stated that the original Committee said that I had pleaded Guilty when it was clear from the tapes that I had pleaded Not-Guilty. But then they Recommended that a new Committee be held to look into some other things that had never come up in either committee.
As I was clearly expected to die of AIDS after the org had ensured that I would die by sending me to a chiropractor who had never treated an HIV patient I no longer cared about continuing any pretense that there was Justice in Scn. My wife was being held against her will on the ship while they waited not too patiently for me to die. By the time I got to a real doctor I was all but dead.
Mark Fladd says
Sounds like a pattern. They baked up a lie when I was banned from public events and lied and tried to say I attended the SMP building opening without an invitation. I didn’t even know the event security, they didn’t know what I looked like, I never went to the LA org in my life (still haven’t), and the attempt to attack somebody on faked accusations is a sign of plain stupidity. The lies start to make sense when you understand that most of these events are being run by and have free labor from second or third generation Scientology children who have no care for consequences when they lie just to create drama.
Geoff Levin says
Good for you. I had something similar happen to me.
Cindy says
We already know how racist and bigoted and hateful Rizza Islam is. What I want to know is did he go to trial yet on his Medicare Fraud?
ISNOINews says
The Pretrial Conference / Trial Setting for the charges against Rizza Islam for felony Medi-Cal fraud is currently scheduled for 1/12/21. The actual trial date should be set at that time if the hearing is not continued (again).
/
Skyler1 says
As far as Rizza Izza goes, I believe he decided to hop-a-long down to his Kangaroo Court and make a public spectacle by jumping up and down while yelling and screaming.
Of course, I could be wrong about this. He is very hard to predict. Too many predilictions to predict accurately.
Skyler1 says
Oops. It’s “Predilections” – not “Predilictions”.
I blame this entirely on my spell checker or on Tubby – whichever came first.
ISNOINews says
O/T. Scientology Youth For Human Rights Award Winner Nation of Islam Brother Rizza Islam on “White people”:
https://twitter.com/IslamRizza/status/1347587440937033730
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
If ANYONE is surprised about ANYTHING that White people do….. YOU are part of the problem…. If a person SHOWS you who they are BELIEVE THEM! Have they not CONSISTENTLY shown the WORLD who they are over the last 6,000+ years? Stop ignoring the REALITY!
#Thisiswhotheyare
* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
Tweet memorialized at:
https://exscn2.net/threads/scientology-youth-for-human-rights-award-winner-nation-of-islam-brother-rizza-islams-anti-semitic-racist-homophobic-anti-american-etc-statements.54/post-72704
Reminder:
Rizza Islam is the same person to whom Congresswoman Karen Bass recently awarded a “Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.”
https://exscn2.net/threads/scientology-youth-for-human-rights-award-winner-nation-of-islam-brother-rizza-islams-anti-semitic-racist-homophobic-anti-american-etc-statements.54/post-72199
Rizza Islam is also the same person to whom Los Angeles City Councilman Curren D. Price, Jr. awarded a “Certificate of Recognition” on 12/7/19.
https://exscn2.net/threads/scientology-youth-for-human-rights-award-winner-nation-of-islam-brother-rizza-islams-anti-semitic-racist-homophobic-anti-american-etc-statements.54/post-10840
/
otherles says
Of all ideologies Racial Collectivism stands with the ugliest and most irrational of doctrines. It denies the minds and rights of all individuals and reduces all people to mere things. The content of character and the moral choices made by a person mean nothing.
George M. White says
Great information about NOI. Thank you for posting! This is what I am talking about in East Tampa. These NOI ministers with bow ties sell newspapers on the weekends. The newspapers are excellent and do not contain any hatred. These minister are very polite and have not expressed any racism at all. I have noticed that only a few black people from the general population are attracted. Brother Rizza Islam’s statement does not bother me at all. It is nothing but the Occult from Blavatsky passed on into Elijah Muhammad who died years ago. This view of black supremacy emerged from the space devices that circled earth hundreds of thousand of years ago. It is all part of a grand genetic evolution that is accepted by some people. I have no problems with NOI yet. They are far better than Scientologists. I think the court problems with the Masterson Case illustrate the real problem.
Richard says
Maybe the space devices were early versions of the Mother Plane.
From the wiki article on Nation of Islam
[The Mother Plane and Ezekiel’s Wheel
Main article: Ezekiel’s Wheel
Elijah Muhammad taught his followers about a Mother Plane or Wheel, a UFO that was seen and described in the visions of the prophet Ezekiel in the “Book of Ezekiel”, in the Hebrew Bible.
Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.
— Ezekiel 1:15–18 (ESV)
Farrakhan, commenting on his teacher’s description in 1996, said the following:
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad told us of a giant Mother Plane that is made like the universe, spheres within spheres. White people call them unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Ezekiel, in the Old Testament, saw a wheel that looked like a cloud by day but a pillar of fire by night. . . . . . . ]
…………………………………………………………..
I couldn’t guess how many Creation Stories and End of Days stories exist on Teegeeack.
Richard says
A current End of Days scenario gaining traction on Teegeeack is catastrophic human caused global warming. Teegeeack is emerging from a centuries long global cooling period sometimes referred to as The Little Ice Age. Since 1850 global temperature has risen appoximately 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewJ6TI8ccAw
https://climatechangedispatch.com/97-articles-refuting-the-97-consensus/
George M. White says
Good post, Richard. I remember that from Elijah Muhammed. Blavatsky describes what she calls “Monads”. She wrote before space ships so the analogy is weak. In the grand scheme of the creation of the universe, these “capsules” rotate in space like comets. They contain different forms of genetic material. Blavatsky had no idea of DNA or genes. The substance is both physical and spiritual and is responsible for the different races. The Aryan race is now on the decline which she predicted and was picked up by Hitler, The Black race is lightly covered by Blavatsky and is an offshoot. Elijah Muhammed actually made more out of the black supremacy idea than she did. Actually, Blavatsky predicted that the Slavic race would be the next to control earth but would not exceed the glory of the Aryans who would fall just like the Atlantians.