Everyone with an interest in this is probably already aware of the fact of the court order issued yesterday in the Baxter/Paris human trafficking lawsuit in Tampa. You can read the full order from Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed here: Order declaring Miscavige served I wanted to have this document recorded here at my blog even though this is not new news and Aaron Smith-Levin put it on his YouTube channel and Tony Ortega put it up on his substack yesterday. I have a few comments about this and some excerpts from the ruling that I feel are worthy of note. First, this was a fairly … [Read more...]
David Miscavige — Moment of Reckoning
It would appear a moment of reckoning is upon the COB. For years he has managed to avoid being served in any suit that has named him. Last night, the plaintiff's lawyers in the Baxter/Paris case filed a motion to have the court find that Miscavige has been avoiding service and should be held in default. He has been able to get away with his shenanigans for years, but I suspect the time for playing games with the court system is over (at least in this case). At the hearing last month, Judge Barber was not impressed with even the concept of this circus. When he reads the lengths … [Read more...]
House of Horrors
This is an excellent piece in the Daily Beast from Kate Briquelet and old friend Marlow Stern. It's a story that needs far more coverage. And as this case progresses, I hope that will be the case. The Amended Complaint details the Fair Game tactics being employed against the plaintiffs, as well as the strenuous efforts by Miscavige to evade service. Nothing unexpected, but it is good to see it detailed in a legal filing. Media feel protected when they report on documents filed in court. Since the days when Hubbard was trying to avoid being served in lawsuits, there have been strict … [Read more...]
Episode 9: Steve Cannane
This week we talk to Australian investigative journalist, Steve Cannane. You can listen to the podcast here: Steve has reported extensively on scientology in Australia, breaking a number of stories of victims of abuse over the past decade: His reporting prompted him to write a book, very appropriately entitled Fair Game. This is the definitive history of scientology in Australia. But events in Australia have had a huge impact on scientology around the world. Much of the policies on dealing with enemies and attacks grew out of the Victorian … [Read more...]