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Scientology founder's papers ruled OK for trial

Title: Scientology founder's papers ruled OK for trial
Date: Friday, 20 April 1984
Publisher: Daily News
Main source: link (38 KiB)

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A judge Thursday denied a motion to bar voluminous personal papers of reclusive Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard from being introduced as evidence at the Los Angeles trial of a suit against the sect's former archivist.

But Superior Court Judge Paul Breckenridge Jr. left open the possibility he will ban some of the papers from the trial of one-time church archivist Gerald Armstrong, accused by the sect of stealing the documents.

Breckenridge said he will rule on the admissibility of the papers, which number in the thousands and are contained in 21 boxes, on a document-by-document basis. He instructed Armstrong's attorney, Michael Flynn, to compile a list by Monday of the papers he wants to use as evidence.

Church attorneys want the documents, the object of a lawsuit filed by the Scientologists against Armstrong, excluded from the trial, while Flynn argued for their inclusion. The trial is set to begin after resolution of pre-trial motions, more of which will be heard today and Monday.

The church's suit, filed in 1982, seeks the return of the papers as well as $100.000 in punitive damages and general damages to be specified at the trial.