Better than nothing - for now

[Tampa Tribune 16 November 1998]

11/16/98 -- 1:24 AM

It's the mercenary side of the criminal court system, but sometimes justice comes with a price tag rather than prison sentence.

And sometimes you just have to hold your nose and think to yourself, ``Well, it's better than nothing.'' For now at least.

On Friday the Church of Scientology was charged by Pasco/Pinellas State Attorney Bernie McCabe with two felony counts in the horrific, cruel death of one of its members, Lisa McPherson.

Uh, don't you go to church to find some peace, not rest in peace?

In 1995 after being involved in a minor Clearwater fender-bender, a dazed and incoherent McPherson was found nude walking down the street.

The 36-year-old longtime Scientologist was taken to nearby (a word which looms very importantly later on) Morton Plant Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, but she was soon whisked away to the Scientology clan's Fort Harrison headquarters/bunker by ``church'' functionaries.

Seventeen days later McPherson was dead.

What happened to McPherson during those hideous 2 1/2 weeks has been the focus of an intense stand-off between police investigators and the very weird acolytes of the ``church.''

McCabe has charged McPherson was physically abused, restrained against her will, neglected and illegally medicated during her forced incarceration at what became for her a temple of doom.

Meanwhile, Scientology mouthpiece Laura Vaughan was dancing around the Maypole, noting McCabe's indictment does not include individual Scientologists or charge anyone with manslaughter in what she described as an ``accident.''

``The people who were there were trying to help her in accordance with her religious beliefs,'' Vaughan said. Uh, just what religious belief is that? Please starve me to death and leave me to slip away alone, tied down to a bed? In just what gospel do you find that passage?

McPherson's death was an ``accident''?

Was it an ``accident'' that when McPherson slipped into a coma hours before she died, Scientologists did nothing to help her???

Was it an ``accident'' by the time someone figured out McPherson was in dire straits she was schlepped 20 miles away only to die en route - to PASCO COUNTY - to be seen by a Scientologist physician, when Morton Plant was mere minutes away from the Fort Harrison???

Was it an ``accident'' a restrained McPherson lingered, suffering from dehydration and bed sores, which eventually created the embolism that killed her???

Was it an ``accident'' three ``church'' disciples who supposedly had administrative oversight of McPherson left the country after her death???

Was it an ``accident'' all Scientology documents relating to McPherson in the last 53 hours of her life have conveniently been lost or destroyed by the ``church,'' according to investigators???

An ``accident'' is when you spill coffee down your pants. An ``accident'' is not allowing a sadly disturbed young woman to rot to death for 2 1/2 weeks.

To be sure, at first blush, the ``church'' faces ridiculously minor sanctions for its role in McPherson's death - at most an obscenely low $15,000 fine.

But McCabe has also put the Scientologists into a deliciously awkward situation.

Known for a penchant for secrecy that makes the CIA seem like a bunch of blabbermouths, the last thing the ``church'' wants is a highly publicized trial with several ``church'' employees testifying under a grant of immunity from McCabe about the group's internal operations.

However if the ``church'' settles out of court with McCabe and simply pays a $15,000 fine acknowledging criminal negligence, it would be very difficult to defend itself against a multimillion dollar civil lawsuit filed in Tampa on behalf of McPherson's estate against Scientology.

You say the Scientologists don't have a prayer.

Then again, neither did Lisa McPherson.